Happy Fat Tuesday! What are your plans? Anyone cooking up some Étoufée…of course, you could start the day with some pączki, too! Or, maybe you want something a little more simple, like red beans and rice…or you like taking your time by making a big pot of gumbo?! The options are endless. But, they all typically take some time, and as indicated by the title of today’s big celebration…it’s on a Tuesday: a school/work night and not everyone has time to do all of this prep and slow-cooking. Well, what if I told you that you can have a plate of slamming, spicy chicken Jambalaya cooked-up in about 30 minutes? That’s all you need! Just a note, this is spicy. So, if your kids don’t like spice, maybe swap in some kielbasa to help cool the palates down.
Weeknight Chicken Jambalaya
1.25 cups long-grain white rice
4 scallions, sliced thin (reserving the dark green portion for the end)
Green pepper, seeded and diced
½ lb Andouille sausage, sliced ¼-inch thick
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp ketchup
2 tsp Creole seasoning
Fresh thyme
Fill a medium-sized pot with water. Cover and set over high heat.
Meanwhile, prep your ingredients, including slicing the chicken into rough 1-inch pieces.
Once the water begins to boil, add in a heavy pinch of salt and the rice. Stir for a minute, then slightly cover to avoid any boil over. Boil the rice for about 10 minutes or until just tender.
Meanwhile, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a 10-inch skillet, set over medium-high heat.
Once the oil begins smoking, add in the sliced white and light green portion of the scallions, the peppers and meat. Season with 1.5 tsp of the Creole seasoning and toss to combine. Sauté for about 10 minutes until the chicken and sausage begin to brown, stirring occasionally.
While everything cooks, combine the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, ketchup and remaining ½ tsp of seasoning in a small bowl and whisk together. Reserve.
Once the rice is tender, drain through a fine-mesh sieve and rinse with cold water. Drain again, then add the rice to the skillet and toss to combine, cooking any excess water off for 1 minute.
Then, add in the reserved sauce and mix until everything is coated and the rice takes on a golden tint from the sauce. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
Toss in the scallion greens, along with some fresh thyme leaves, and serve.
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