Crockpot Jambalaya

Who doesn't love JAMBALAYA!?!?!? And, who doesn't love a quick, easy crockpot dinner?  I can't think of anyone!!

Every weekend we pull together our menu plan for the following week. We almost always have "Taco Tuesday", a crockpot meal on Thursday, steak on Saturday. Then, we fill in the rest with special requests from my husband or the boys.

This week's request: JAMBALAYA!



Since I've been following the Wheat Belly 10-Day Detox plan, I have been over-sharing a bit on my Instagram account (me? overshare? never!) with pictures of various meals. So, when I posted a pic of this delicious creation, I've received tons of request for my jambalaya recipe.

It's so easy ... Honestly, it'll take more time for me to write this recipe and format this post than it would to make the entire meal.

What I love about this recipe?

• Real food ingredients


• Budget-friendly


• Fits so well into several different dietary lifestyles (gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free/paleo, low fat, organic... you get the point)


• Dump & Go Recipe!


• Ingredients can all be tossed together in a freezer bag for later cooking!
  Did someone way "freezer meal"? I think I need to get some of my little secret recipes published....


• My kids LOVE IT!!


• It's super easy to change up based upon the flavor profile you want

So, without further adieu... Here's my recipe for:

Crockpot Jambalaya

Round up the following ingredients:

• 16-24oz boneless skinless chicken pieces (I prefer thighs but breasts will work fine)


• 2 cans (28oz) diced tomatoes


• 1 package andouille sausage (the CLEANEST brand you can find)
  Note: If spicy andouille isn't your thing, a smoked sausage or polska kielbasa will do just fine. Just watch your ingredients!!


• medium onion


• 2 bell peppers (any color)


• 2 ribs celery


• 2-3 Tbsp Cajun seasoning blend, to flavor
  (see below or contact me on how to order this one, which is what I use)


• 1 small head cauliflower


• Optional: 1# shrimp and/or 1# crawfish (see comments below)

Preparation

• Cut your chicken up into small, bite-sized pieces


• Cut the sausage into small, bite-sized pieces


• Dice the onion and peppers


• Chop the celery into small pieces

Method

1. Prepare the cauliflower "rice"
   
   
   
   • Rough-chop your cauliflower and run it through your food processor to create "rice".
   
   
   • Place in a microwave-safe dish with loose fitting lid. (I like to use a small CorningWare casserole dish for this)
   
   
   • Microwave on high for 3-5 minutes.
   
   
   • Remove and let cool.
   
   
   • Place in fridge for use after meal is ready to cook.
   
   
   
   


2. Add to the crockpot the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the optional shrimp and crawfish, if using.


3. Stir to combine.


4. Turn on LOW for 6-8 hours
   Note: I've been known to have mine go for 10 hours. And, honestly, it's been fine. Do what works for you & your schedule!


5. When you are ready to eat, take the cauliflower rice out of the fridge. Warm it up for a minute or two in the microwave.


6. Put a scoop of the "rice" in a bowl and top with the jambalaya.


7. Enjoy!

Comments

Crawfish: Yes, in my picture you see a nice little crawfish on top of my dish!! We don't usually have these around but my husband picked them up on a seafood sale at our local grocer. They were pre-cooked and frozen. All I did was put them in a pot of boiling water to get them up to eating temp.

Shrimp: Some other recipes say to add thawed, raw shrimp the last 30 minutes of cooking to the crockpot. I don't know about you but I never have 30 minutes after getting home to 1) remember to do this, or 2) spare the time. What I will do is have my shrimp pre-cooked and warm them up like the crawfish. Since only my husband and I eat the shrimp, we add to our bowls what we want.

Time saving tip!
Did you know you can buy a bag of frozen onions, celery and bell peppers? Yes - it's true! I found a bag of Bird's Eye brand and used it as a real time saver. Granted, I tend to buy celery and bell peppers organic as they are on the Dirty Dozen list. But, in a pinch - or if this isn't your thing - keep this tip in mind.

Freezer Meal Method:

• Dump everything - excluding the seafood and cauliflower - into a freezer bag. Close up and label. Freeze for up to 6-months.


• Thaw out in the fridge overnight and dump into crockpot before heading out for the day.


• Prepare the cauliflower when you get home. You can, however, freeze the cauliflower once it's "riced" as well.


• Remember: You should not re-freeze meat. This will work only if you bought fresh chicken!

Cajun Seasoning

2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Stir together spices until evenly blended.
Store in an airtight container.

 

Now, go out and make your jambalaya! Be sure to use the hashtag #wholelifestyleliving on Instagram to share with me!!