I’ve been following the Eat From Your Pantry challenge, and while I’m not giving up grocery shopping this month (don’t feel like my stockpile is quite there yet), I am working on planning meals based on what’s in the pantry and freezer, plus doing it all for under $200 a month. The stretch and creativity is a fun challenge for me.
Today I came up with a Jambalaya of sorts using items I had on hand. Good thing I kept track of what I added because my husband raved at dinner “this is the best jambalaya you’ve ever made!”
According to Wikipedia, The Dictionary of American Food and Drink offers this creative old wives’ tale about the origin of the word “jambalaya”:
Late one evening a traveling gentleman stopped by a New Orleans inn which had little food remaining from the evening meal. The traveler instructed the cook, “Jean, balayez!” or “Jean, sweep something together!” in the local dialect. The guest pronounced the resulting hodge-podge dish as “Jean balayez.”
This certainly was a hodge podge dish, but we loved it. Traditionally jambalaya has seafood in it, but I didn’t have any, so we just used chicken and sausage (actually I used Little Smokies!) Jared said we should make it again leaving out the shrimp (he’s not a fan).
Creole Jambalaya
- 1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
- smoked sausage, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 bag frozen peppers and onions
- lots of minced garlic (sorry, didn’t measure…)
- 2 cups chicken or beef broth
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1-2 cups instant rice (increase liquid if using more rice)
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
Saute peppers and onions, chicken, and sausage in a swirl of olive oil until meat is cooked and vegetables are soft and slightly camelized. Add garlic, saute for a few seconds, being careful not to burn. Add rice, broth, tomatoes, and seasonings. Simmer until rice has absorbed the liquids.
You heard the man, folks! This was the best jambalaya I’ve ever made! He complimented me two other times throughout the meal as well, so I guess it was a hit. We served it with garlic toast, salad, and canned mandarin oranges. Filling, flavorful, and a yummy way to use those Little Smokies that have been on sale lately!
Hi! I think what you’re trying to do here if FABULOUS! I’m trying to trim our grocery spending for our family of 8 due to a pay cut. We’re thankful my husband still has his job, but the pay cut is tough!
I’ll be following closely and using some of your recipes from time to time.
I use tons of LENTILS… high in protein, fairly bland, so they take on seasoning really well. They are just as inexpensive as beans – so do not rule them out! Lentils with Rice soup is a favorite at our house!
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I use smoked sausage – especially when it goes on sale (sometimes I can find it buy 1 get 1). We usually skip the chicken – we eat it in a lot of other dishes. We do not do seafood of any sort in home – if I want seafood, we have to eat out, my hubby is allergic. Thank you for all the great ideas!
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