This is a tasty twist on a Cajun favorite that delivers a kick and uses up some of that leftover turkey you have in the fridge.
Ingredients:
1 lb Cooked Turkey, Chopped
16 oz Andouille Sausage, Chopped
1 Medium Sweet Onion, Diced
1 Cup Celery, Diced
¾ Cup Red Bell Pepper, Diced
1 to 2 Jalapenos, Diced
3 to 4 Garlic Gloves, Minced
16 oz Crushed Tomatoes
2 to 3 Tablespoons Oil or Bacon Grease
2 Tablespoons Cajun Seasoning
2 Teaspoons Garlic Salt
2 Teaspoons Cayenne Powder
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 Tablespoons Louisianna Hot Sauce
1 Cup White Rice, Uncooked
2 Cups Chicken Broth
¾ Cup White Wine
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Optional:
1 lb Raw Shrimp, Pealed and Deveined
1 Tablespoon Butter
½ Tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
Makes 6 to 8 Servings
Directions:
Heat one tablespoon of oil or bacon grease in a large, non-stick skillet or Dutch oven on medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned. Remove the sausage from the pan.
Add the remaining oil or bacon grease. Add the onions, celery, and peppers and cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes and mix all of the vegetables together. Add all of the seasonings up to and including the hot sauce and stir together.
Add the turkey and sausage and stir. Add the uncooked white rice and the liquid and stir well. Bring to a boil then stir and reduce heat so that it simmers. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes with an occasional stir. You want to make sure all the liquid is cooked out and the rice is fully cooked. If necessary, add more broth for the rice to cook through. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
If you plan on adding the shrimp, you will cook that about 10 minutes before the Jambalaya is done. Melt the butter in a skillet on medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and Cajun seasoning and cook until the shrimp is pink and fully cooked. Stir the shrimp in with the Jambalaya a few minutes before it is done so that it incorporates with the flavors.
If I don’t add the shrimp, then I will add more of the turkey and sausage at the beginning. If you don’t have turkey but have some leftover chicken or frozen, diced chicken, you can substitute that. If you have fresh chicken, then dice it up and brown it in oil for about ten minutes before adding it to the Jambalaya.
This is certainly a nice change of pace after the holiday meal, and you can adjust the heat level accordingly depending on how much jalapeno, cayenne, and hot sauce you add. If you happen to have some fresh cayenne peppers (or Thai chilis) and want to really kick things up, add those instead or along with the jalapenos!