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I had a very hard time categorizing this recipe.
I’ve never had jambalaya, at least that I know of. And I’ve never had gumbo. But after some extensive research, I’ve determined that tonight’s dinner was kind of a toss up between the two.
A third method is less common. In this version, meat and vegetables are cooked separately from the rice. At the same time, rice is cooked in a savory stock. It is added to the meat and vegetables before serving. This is called “white jambalaya.” This dish is rare in Louisiana as it is seen as a “quick” attempt to make jambalaya, popularized outside the state to shorten cooking time.
Jambalaya is differentiated from gumbo and étouffée by the way in which the rice is included. In these dishes, the rice is cooked separately and is served as a bed on which the main dish is served. In the usual method of preparing jambalaya, a rich stock is created from vegetables, meat, and seafood; raw rice is then added to the broth and the flavor is absorbed by the grains as the rice cooks.
Mr. Fox and I have been trying to eat healthier, and in doing so, we’ve become quite addicted to Johnsonville’s new “better for you” sausage varieties. We had one of each flavor of the chicken sausage in the freezer, but I took out a package of the chipotle monterey jack and then couldn’t figure out what to make! I didn’t want to just grill them and put them in hot dog buns, I wanted to try something new and different. Luckily, I found that Johnsonville had several recipes posted on their website! One of which was for this dish, which has too long of a title and I needed to cut it down. I just couldn’t figure out what to call it!
The Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chiles) really adds some delicious flavor.
So it became Esther’s Jambalaya. And it was SO DELICIOUS!! The great thing about this chicken sausage is that it tastes like regular sausage. There are some brands that just don’t, and I don’t like those. The Johnsonville ones make up for it.
A really REALLY easy take on a southern favorite. Delicious, healthy chicken sausage with fresh bell peppers and onions, served over rice. Yum!
Ingredients
- 1 package of Zatarains yellow rice
- 1 package of Johnsonville Chipotle Monterey Jack Cheese Chicken Sausage
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut in thin strips
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut in thin strips
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 10oz can of Rotel original (diced tomatoes with green chiles)
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup Mexican cheese (cheddar works good too)
Directions
- Prepare rice according to the package directions.
- Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat; cut sausage into 1/2" slices and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add peppers and onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes with chiles and heat through.
- Serve sausage mixture over rice and top with cilantro and cheese.
Notes
If you want to cut your prep time down, most grocery stores carry a bag of red and green bell pepper strips with onions in the frozen vegetable aisle. One bag should suffice for the purpose of this recipe.
This recipe was adapted from Johnsonville's website.
NOTE: I am not affiliated in any way with Johnsonville.
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esther jambalaya chipotle monterey chicken sausage rice
