Cheap & Easy (Jambalaya)

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Amy

Look a cooking post! Bet you didn’t see that one coming, not a single picture of the kid – impressive huh?

Here’s what you need to know about my cooking -

I have a toddler, thus it can’t be too difficult or time consuming

I love going out to eat and ordering fancy-schmancy food; that’s not what I cook at home – I cook comfort food

I’m cheap, there will be suggestions of Wal-mart brand, if you can’t handle this leave now.

This jambalaya is part of my rotation pretty often for a lot of reasons. One, it’s cheap! Also it’s pretty idiot proof and packs a punch. It also seems to just keep multiplying and can feed us for like a week.

disclaimer : I made this up one day and I’m sure there’s a recipe crazy close to this out there and I am in no way trying to take credit for it.

Here’s what you need (Pioneer Woman style)

salt, peper, Lawry’s, garlic salt

1 large onion (whichever kind is cheapest that day)

2 jalapenos

1 box chicken broth (Optional)

small container of heavy cream (Optional)

large precooked Great Value brand Jalapeno pre cooked sausage (you can find it near the bacon in Wal Mart)

3 packages Great Value brand Spanish rice

package of precooked no tail frozen shrimp (optional)

OK!

Chop your onions and jalapenos

have good knives? you need them – love mine – get them here

when you chop your jalapenos I recommend leaving the seeds and ribs in the 1st and taking them out of the 2nd (for less spicy take them out of both – for more spicy leave them in both)

to take the seeds and ribs out just make this

look like this

so now your board looks like this

take a large, heavy bottom pot and coat the base with olive oil, turn the heat to medium high and dump in your onions and jalapenos

while these are working get some prep work done – peel & chop your sausage into chunks – to peel just make the whole sausage look like the sausage on the left

while the onions are working, add in a liberal amount of all of your seasonings

after about 15 minutes your base should look like this

add all 3 packages of rice – mix together with the onions and let the rice toast for a few minutes

add in the entire box of chicken stock plus 2 cups of water (if you don’t have chicken stock just add 7 cups of water)

how cute are my nesting measuring cups?!

bring the liquid up to a boil – reduce the heat – cover and let sit 20 min

now is an appropriate break time for you, have some of this

after 20 min stir your pot, turn the heat to low and add in your chopped sausage and shrimp (I don’t always use shrimp, I did last night b/c it was the superbowl – this dish is dirt cheap if you omit the shrimp)

now at this point you can be completely done (after letting the shrimp and sausage heat through) – I however, add some cream to make the heat a little less ‘knockyoudownbowlyouover’ and to change the texture a bit

there’s no real rule on how much to add – keep stirring and tasting until you are happy