Not Your Momma’s Jambalaya

CC Jeffrey W.

Homemade jambalaya with andouille and shrimp.

By Kate Anderson, Staff Writer
November 18, 2015

Jambalaya is hands-down my favorite meal of ALL TIME, and when my Momma makes it… words cannot describe how good this meal is. She makes it with just the right amount of spice and flavor and adds in andouille and shrimp, mmhmm, my mouth is watering at just the thought of it.

I thought I would do all of our readers a favor by sharing with you my mom’s recipe that she uses every time she makes this God-sent meal. Of course you could find variations of this meal at AllRecipes, Food Network, or My Recipes, but are they really as good as the real thing?

The Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic

6 ounces andouille sausage, sliced

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

1 teaspoon of paprika

1 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon of onion powder

1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt

2 cups of chicken broth

3/4 cup of water

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon of hot pepper sauce

1 (14.5-ounce ) can of diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 pound of cleaned medium/small-sized shrimp

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley

*Most of these ingredients are fresh but the packaged or pre-made versions of these ingredients will work just as well!!!

The Steps:

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and sausage chunks and sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
  3. Add rice, paprika, ground pepper, oregano, onion powder, thyme, and garlic salt into the pot; cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Add broth, water, tomato paste, hot pepper sauce, and diced tomatoes and bring everything to a boil.
  5. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to a low setting, and simmer 20 minutes.
  6. Next, add the shrimp and cook for 5 more minutes. After that, turn off the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes.
  7. Finally, stir in parsley for flavor.
  8. Serve to your family and enjoy!

This makes 4 servings, so if your family needs more or less servings, adjust the recipe accordingly. Enjoy!!!