Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya

2/3 C Bacon Drippings or lard
2 medium onions, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
1 lb chicken, cut into bite size pieces*
1 1/2 lbs smoked sausage, cut into bite-sized rounds
2 C long grain, white rice (not instant)
2 large tomatoes, peeled & chopped**
3 C beef broth or pork stock if you have it
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/4 t red (cayenne) pepper or to taste
Salt to taste
12 green onions chopped(tops and bottoms)
1/2 C minced parsley, preferably flat-leaf

Chop all of your vegetables ahead of time; I even browned my chicken a bit.

In a heavy 8 qt Dutch oven, melt drippings or lard over medium heat. Add onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; cook until vegetables are wilted and transparent, about 5 min. Add chicken and sausage; cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is lightly browned, about 8 min. Add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice is light golden brown, about 5 min. Add tomatoes; stir until combined. Cook 2 min. Stir in stock or broth. Add seasonings. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer until rice is tender and no liquid remains, 45 min or so. Taste for seasoning; adjust if necessary. Add green onions and parsley. Cover and cook 5 min. Serve hot. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Serve this with a salad and some french bread. I did not have any french bread so I made some beer bread from Tastefully Simple and it went great with it!


*The original recipe called for ham; I did not have any so I used chicken instead.

**I used a large can of petite diced tomatoes with the juices instead of fresh.


Terry Thompson, Cajun-Creole Cooking