Crockpot Jambalaya

 (I've come to the conclusion that no food cooked in a crock pot comes out pretty in pictures. More like a pile of slop but it's the taste that matters and after 7 hours of slow cooking I can assure you the flavors of this have all mushed together perfectly)

I have been trying to make it a point at least once a week to cook up something that can be pulled out of the freezer for an easy dinner option once Olive is here and we are just to tired to cook a meal from scratch. This week I decided to go with a big batch of Jambalaya. Hans is a huge fan of anything that involves a little heat and some Cajun Seasoning so I knew that it would make his day when he saw that it would be a dinner option not only for dinner that night but for several more to come in the future. Usually I would make it on the stove and let it cook all day but this girl loves her crock pot and since I had doctor appointments and errands to run, it was going to have to do. Plus at this point in the pregnancy I LOVE me some shortcuts. 

This version is medium hot. Just the way I like it. If you like yours a little more on the tame side you can cut the cayenne pepper in half or if you like your mouth to be on FIRE you can double it or just throw in a jalapeno or two more. Also, feel free to use meats of your choice. I had some chicken and turkey sausage in the freezer so that is what I went with but feel free to use shrimp, hamburger, beef sausage, etc...

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken breast (I used both breast and thighs so it didn't get to dry) cut into 1" chunks
1 lb. smoked turkey sausage, sliced
1 28oz jar/can or diced tomatoes with juice. (if they are not home canned, make sure you use low sodium to keep it more on the healthy side)
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
your choice rice (I used around 1 1/2- 2 c. brown rice)

Throw everything except the rice into the crockpot, cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high.  When ready to serve, cook your rice as directed and add to either the crock pot or bowl and then top with the soup mixture.  

ENJOY!