Cajun Recipe: Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Here's a great, hearty, spicy dish that's always a family favorite. It's packed with vegetables, rice, and plenty of meat. Don't forget that great, complex creole flavor from the seasoning that really is the heart of this dish.

Traditionally, Jambalaya is made in a Dutch oven and cooked for a long simmer. We didn't want to take away from the idea of a long simmer, but at the same time we wanted to keep this dish as simple as possible. Using a slow cooker just felt natural. From there, we looked at the right type of sausage to use, and after a few taste tests decided on andouille. If you can't find any, you can substitute for chorizo, or even kielbasa. Keep reading below for this fantastic recipe...

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

(makes about 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 1lb chicken breast halves cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1lb andoille sausage, sliced
• 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, mix together all ingredients except for the rice and shrimp. 
2. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or 3 to 4 hours on high. Halfway through cooking,  add the rice. 40 minutes before serving, stir in the shrimp. Continue to cook for the remaining 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the shrimp and has turned pink, then before serving remove bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with slices of lime, and add Tabasco sauce if desired. 
3. Enjoy!

Southern Slow Cooker Recipe: Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

If there is one dish that just screams southern cooking, it has to be a great gumbo. This Louisiana based dish is full of meat, vegetables, and of course a great stock. We wanted to go ahead an make a fantastic chicken and sausage gumbo, keeping to the spirit of the dish while making it nice and simple at the same time.

While perhaps similar in many ingredients, gumbo is very distinct from a jambalaya. While the rice in Jambalaya is cooked in the dish, they should be kept separate until serving for a gumbo. Further, a gumbo makes use of a flavorful roux for thickening and flavor. Also, any good gumbo should include okra. While most slow cooker recipes would have you throw all the ingredients in at once, we found these distinctions required just a little extra work and prep to really keep to the spirit of the gumbo. Keep reading below for this great gumbo recipe...

Chicken and Gumbo Sausage Recipe

(makes 4-8 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 1/2" pieces
• 3/4lb andouille sausage
• 1/2lb okra, cut crosswise into thick slices
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon Tobasco sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• steamed white rice for serving

Directions

1. In a large skillet, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides (about 8 minutes). Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker then add the sausage. Scatter the okra, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and onion on top.
2. Return the skillet to medium heat and warm up the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle the flour in the pan and cook, stirring constantly until golden brown (about 4 minutes). Stir in the broth and the tomatoes with juice. Increase the heat to medium-high, stirring constantly. When the mixture comes to a boil, remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt, cayenne, Tobasco, and Worcestershire sauce, then pour into the slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours. Taste, then season with salt and cayenne to taste. Ladle the gumbo over the steamed rice and serve immediately.
4. Enjoy!

New Orleans Favorite: Shrimp Creole

Thicker than a gumbo but filled with all the flavors of southern cooking, the tomato-based shrimp creole is definitely comfort food. Served over piping-hot rice and packed with spices (and a bit of a kick), shrimp creole is a favorite in New Orleans.

How can you make it your own? How long you simmer it helps determine its thickness, so you can keep it simmering for even longer if you like a really thick creole. You can also adjust some of the ingredients – like the hot sauce or Cajun seasoning – to match your spice preference.

You can even cook Creole rice – add a little bit of butter and a couple bay leaves to the traditional rice and water combo – when you’re steaming or boiling rice for some added flavor. 

Shrimp Creole

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound of medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, not drained
• 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons of chicken broth (or shrimp broth, if you can find it/make it!)
• 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun or Creole seasoning, to taste
• Couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• Couple dashes of hot sauce, to taste
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• Cooked rice 

Directions:

1. If not purchased already peeled and deveined, peel and devein the shrimp and pat them dry with paper towels. Set them aside for now (and consider using the shells to make shrimp stock – click here for a recipe).
2. Put a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter and olive oil. Once heated, then add the onion, green pepper, and celery and sauté for about 5 minutes until they are all tender.
3. Then, add the crushed tomatoes, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic, and bay leaf and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until reduced and thickened, for about 30 minutes.
4. In a small dish, stir the flour and chicken broth (or shrimp broth/stock) and then stir this into the tomato mixture. Cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the shrimp with the Cajun/Creole seasoning and add them to the tomato mixture. Add the Worcestershire and hot sauces and stir everything together.
6. Cook the mixture for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the shrimp start to look opaque and cooked all the way through.
7. Stir in the green onion and parsley and let the entire mixture get heated all the way through.
8. Once hot enough, serve the mixture over hot rice.
9. Enjoy!