Chicken Sausage Jambalaya

Hearty, Delicious, and Healthy!

If there are any die-hard traditional jambalaya fans out there, I apologize in advance: This recipe might disappoint you. This version only contains clean chicken sausage (I don’t care for shrimp and didn’t have chicken on hand when I made it), I used brown rice instead of white to make it acceptable for those doing the 24-Day Challenge, and I threw it all in the Crock Pot, which goes against the preparation methods of true jambalaya.

But, if you are looking for a savory, slightly spicy, good-for-you meal that will stick to your ribs but not your waistline, you’ve come to the right place.

When you shop for clean sausages, look for those with no additives, fillers, preservatives, etc. I like to take the casings off before I slice mine. It makes them even healthier, however, it’s not a necessary step.

I used the Crock Pot (surprise, surprise!) for this dish but a Dutch oven or stockpot would work equally well. Here’s what I came up with:

Chicken Sausage Jambalaya
Serves 6

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken stock or broth (organic preferred)
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chile
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, drained & rinsed
4 chicken sausages, sliced (I used the spicy Italian ones from Trader Joe’s and removed the pork casing)
1 cup brown rice (I used the frozen, already cooked version from Trader Joe’s)
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used yellow but have used orange in the past too)
1 cup celery, chopped (approximately 4 large celery stalks)
1 small red onion, chopped
1-2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning (for a lower sodium version, use Cajun seasoning just omit the salt)

Directions:
Toss all ingredients in the Crock Pot (or Dutch oven or stock pot) and cook on HIGH for a MINIMUM of two hours. Soups always taste better the longer they simmer but since the chicken sausages I used were pre-cooked, I was really just waiting for the veggies to soften and the flavors to mingle.

Results:
I’ve made this several times in the past few months because it’s such a tasty and easy go-to meal. The hubs is obsessed with Old Bay seasoning (he went to high school and college in Maryland—Go RAVENS!!!) so I’m pretty liberal with this seasoning in this particular recipe. As noted above, if you want a lower sodium alternative, make your own Cajun seasoning and leave out the salt.

I had it for lunch the day after I made it and I’m not gonna lie—it’s even tastier as leftovers. This dish is definitely in our regular rotation and I hope you enjoy it as well.

Until next time,
Ryann

P.S. For more information about AdvoCare and the 24-Day Challenge, email me at Advo949@gmail.com or visit www.Advo949.com.