Jambalaya, your new game day grub

Chef JR seasoning his crawfish boil

At the Taste of Cleveland I was lucky enough to enjoy a food demo with Cleveland's Fat Fish Blue Chef Gary "JR" Grady, Jr. Although the highlight of my entire day was the delicious crawfish boil (not in season, I will have to grace you with my family's crawfish etouffee recipe in a future post),  Chef JR's jambalaya recipe inspired me to take this southern classic and make it for a Cleveland game day. 


Football season is upon us, so I figured it would be appropriate to give you a tasty and easy recipe to share with family and friends while watching the game. I decided to make my jambalaya in the slow cooker. Slow cookers are very handy and one of the best ways to create a flavorful meal with little hard work.


The jambalaya will take about 6 hours to cook in the slow cooker. Prep the night before, or when you wake up on Sunday morning and you will have a great meal to eat during the game or for dinner afterwards.


Jambalaya, here is what you'll need for a large slow cooker (about 5 quarts):

• 2 large chicken breast, cut into cubes
• 1  pound  smoked sausage,  cut into slices (other options include ground italian sausage)
• 1  large onion, chopped
• 1  large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3  stalks celery, chopped
• 1  (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice (I suggest the recipe ready kind with oregano, onions and garlic included)
• 3  cloves garlic, chopped
• 2  cups chicken broth
• 1  tablespoon Cajun or Creole spice mix (or you can just add some hot peppers, chili powder, and old bay seasoning to add a good kick as well)
• 1  teaspoon oregano, parsley or thyme
• 1  pound shrimp, peeled and deveined if fresh (or to save money you could get the canned tiny shrimp)
• 2  cups instant rice (I suggest whole grain, because it is healthier and you won't notice the difference)
• Salt & pepper to taste

My jambalaya, my family loved it, and I'm sure you will too!

After prepping all of the ingredients, all you have to do is add everything (except the shrimp and rice) into the slow cooker, turn on low, add the lid and walk away. That easy! Five hours later come back to your jambalaya, give it a good stir, add shrimp and rice, and crank up to high for a half an hour. After that half hour is up serve the piping hot goodness into large bowls and dig in. Everyone will love it, and feel free to be creative, customize it to your taste and make it your own.

Bon appetit!