It’s Crock Pot season! Or should I say….it’s winter. I love a good crock pot recipe and I can’t think of a better way to prepare dinner, than to have it cooking and simmering all day while I’m hard at work too!
Today I am sharing one of my favorite slow cooker meals. A hearty and slightly spicy Jambalaya our family loves!
We make this fairly often no matter the season. Not only does it make the house smell amazing, but it also makes several servings. Which is perfect if you need to feed a hungry crowd or if you like to meal prep for the week ahead! It’s super easy to make and you end up with delicious heat-and-go meals to enjoy throughout the week.
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I have a large crock pot (6.5 quarts), so if you have a smaller one (around 4 quarts) or don’t want lots of extra servings for the week, I would recommend cutting the recipe in half.
Hearty Crock Pot Jambalaya
Ingredients:
- 2 cans (15 oz each) diced tomatoes (with juices)
- 6 stalks celery (chopped)
- 2 cans (15 oz each) chicken broth (can also use veggie broth if desired)
- 2 cans (6 oz each) tomato paste
- 1 orange pepper (chopped)
- 2 red peppers (chopped)
- 1 yellow pepper (chopped)
- 2 cups onions (chopped) I use one cup of white onions and one cup of red onions
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons dried parsley (flakes)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons dried basil (flakes)
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (we like Franks Red Hot)
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (cubed)
- 2 pounds of sausage (cut into small slices)
- 1 pound of uncooked shrimp (peeled) Leave this in the fridge for later.
Directions:
- In a slow cooker, add all of the liquid ingredients first.
- Next, add in the peppers, onions, celery, garlic, and seasonings.
- Finally, add in the sausage and chicken. Stir everything together. (Don’t add the shrimp yet).
- Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours. Ensure that chicken is thoroughly cooked (no longer pink) before proceeding to next step.
- About 30 minutes prior to serving, stir in the shrimp and continue cooking on low.
- When the shrimp turn pinkish (about 30 minutes) it’s done!
This is a great dish on its own, but you can also serve it over steamed rice or pasta (see the picture at the beginning of this post). We also like to enjoy it with a little garlic bread.
Crock Pot Recipe Preparation & Timing:
This recipe takes about 45 minutes to prepare.
If you are pressed for time, you can make the prep-work even faster by purchasing pre-chopped veggies, onions, etc. There are often many pre-chopped options at the grocery store but they tend to be pricier.
You can also find minced garlic in the produce section as well. It’s a huge time saver and it’s the one thing that’s definitely worth the extra cost in my opinion.
Meat Preparation Trick:
I like to use a dedicated pair of kitchen scissors to help me cut the chicken into cubes. It makes prepping way faster, as I am better with scissors than with sharp knives! Just make sure to clean the scissors thoroughly after using them on raw meat. I use THESE from Kitchen-Aid (around $11) but anything similar will do the trick!
I’m also guilty of doing a little taste-testing (if I’m home) while it’s cooking. We like things spicy in our house, so I occasionally add a little more hot sauce or cayenne pepper during the last step after I stir in the shrimp.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to know your thoughts! I hope you enjoy it as much as our family does! Do you make crock pot recipes in the winter? What are some of your favorite slow cooker meals to make? Please share below!
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I'd love to hear your thoughts!