Dear Home Ec 101:

Please, please, please post a recipe for turkey jambalaya. I promise to try this whole menu planning thing if I have a recipe for turkey jambalaya.

~Swaying in Sweetwater

Heather says:

Since you said please, I’ll indulge you.

I have a basic recipe that I tweak depending on what meat I have left over, or for company I’ll use shrimp.

• 1 cup rice, uncooked
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 lg onion diced
• 1 bell pepper diced (optional until the price drops)
• 2 cloves garlic – minced
• 2/3 lb sausage sliced (I use what’s on sale, smoked, kielbasa, or andouille. I use the leftover 1/3lb for the collards.)
• 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken, turkey, or pork. (For shrimp I use 1lb peeled and deveined)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes in sauce
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• pepper/hot sauce to taste

Cook the rice according to the package, substituting chicken broth for water and omitting salt and butter. While the rice is cooking sautee the onion in the olive oil until soft over medium heat in a large pot. Add the sausage, bell pepper, and garlic to the onion. When the sausage is thoroughly cooked, drain any excess fat and add the tomatoes. Using a spatula or wooden spoon scrape any browning from the bottom of the pan. These carmelized bits add a great deal of flavor.

** If adding shrimp, do so now, along with the 1/2 cup frozen peas ** As soon as the shrimp is cooked stir in the rice, pepper, and hot sauce. Serve immediately.

If you are using chicken, turkey, or pork, stir in the rice, and the meat. Stir over very low heat and add the peas. As there is no worry of these additions becoming tough, cook over low heat for an additional 5-10 minutes.

There are many versions of jambalaya, but this is our household favorite. It has a lot of great flavor without being fussy.

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