Easy Jambalaya

Having grown up on the Gulf Coast, I certainly love the flavors and staple dishes of the area. I know this may seem like a slap in the face to traditional jambalaya, but this is a great and EASY alternative. I am not a spokesperson for Zatarain's; they just happen to make a really simple and yummy box of rice and spices. With that being said, enjoy this tasty jambalaya and take in the flavors of the Gulf Coast. Eating this makes me miss and love New Orleans at the same time!

Easy Jambalaya

1 box Zatarain's low sodium jambalaya mix
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1 can diced tomatoes (no salt added), partially drained
olive oil
about 13 oz. Conecuh sausage, sliced (or any meat you prefer)

In a medium-large pot, lightly saute the pepper and onion in olive oil. Next, cook according to the package directions and add 2 cups of water and the rice mix to the same pot. Stir to combine. Bring this to a boil and then down to a simmer. Add the sausage and cook for about 15 minutes. Add in the diced tomatoes and jalapeno.

Continue to simmer and stir (so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom) until the rice is tender.

Serve warm with a few dashes of hot sauce and enjoy!!!

Notes: I LOVE jambalaya. Add in what you like! Chicken, shrimp, okra, whatever...it's all good! The one variation I like to do is add some peeled and deveined shrimp at the very end of the cooking process. Just add them right on top and cook until pink. It will only take about 5 minutes or so. Enjoy!!

Servings: 4+
Total Time: about 40 minutes

Chicken Tetrazzini

Oh man, this stuff is goooooood. I couldn't stop eating it. Maybe because I'm a pig, but maybe it was just delicious.

Chicken Tetrazzini

~1-1.5lb. chicken tenderloins, cut into 1" chunks
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 jar roasted red peppers, drained and diced
8 oz. angel hair pasta
1 can cream of mushroom and chicken soup
1/2 of the above soup can filled with milk
8 oz. package sliced mushrooms
italian seasoning
garlic powder
pepper
paprika
dried basil
red pepper flakes
EVOO
~2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

Drizzle some EVOO into a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Pan sear the chicken chunks with heavy amounts of all the seasoning listed. (The dish can turn out really bland if you do not season enough.) Cook just until the chicken is slightly browned. Maybe about 10 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Remove from skillet to a plate.

Put all the vegetables into the same skillet and sweat on medium-low heat until softened. Add the mushrooms and brown for about 5 additional minutes. Add more spices if you want. I think I added a small shake of garlic powder on the veggies.

While the vegetables are softening, boil the pasta according to package directions until al dente. (I used angel hair pasta, but you could use spaghetti noodles or something different if you want.) Drain the pasta and douse briefly with cold water.

Lightly spray a large casserole dish and add the chicken, pasta, cream of mushroom and chicken soup, and 1/2 soup can full of milk. Gently combine this. Then add the vegetables and combine. When you have it mixed fairly well, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top. Bake uncovered at 350 for about 35 minutes. Allow it to stand 10 minutes or so before serving.

Servings: 8-10
Time: 1+ hour

Notes: NOM NOM NOM! Lots of leftovers to enjoy!! This would also be a great dish to bring to a potluck. Enjoy! 

No Meat Mexican Casserole

Time to get your vegetable and Mexican fix!!

No Meat Mexican Casserole:

1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 red onion, small dice
cumin
chili powder
salt and pepper
corn tortillas (I used about 6)
10 oz. can enchilada sauce
1/2 can refried beans (or more if you like it with lots of beans)
1 bag shredded mexican cheese blend
optional: one jalapeno, diced

First, chop all your veggies. I forgot to add a jalapeno in the mix, so add a jalapeno if you want. If you pre-chop all your veggies, this really takes no time at all to come together.

Place red and green pepper, onion and corn in a large non-stick skillet over high heat with no oil. You want to roast the vegetables. Sprinkle with your desired amount of cumin, salt, pepper and chili powder. I went a little heavy on the chili powder here.

Allow it to cook (without stirring) about 5-7 minutes and then shake the skillet to allow roasting on all sides. Do this about 15 minutes total, until you reach desired color. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 400 and spray a medium casserole dish. Pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the dish. Next layer the corn tortillas. You can use a pizza cutter to help cut pieces to fit the dish.

 In a medium mixing bowl combine the refried beans with a tablespoon of water to make it a little easier to spread. Spread this over the tortillas.

The rest is easy. Top the beans with half of the vegetables mix, then enchilada sauce, then a layer of cheese.

Top this with another layer of tortillas, the rest of the vegetables, enchilada sauce and top with cheese.

Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Then I removed the foil and cooked it for another 5 minutes. Let it stand about 5-10 minutes before serving. (It's a little gooey, but delicious!) Serve with favorite toppings. Sour cream, cilantro, guac...you know the drill.

Notes: Husband added some Tabasco on top, but cleaned his plate. I ate a good helping with sour cream and the rest will be leftovers! This is a great no-meat option and definitely yummy! Enjoy!

Servings: 6