Warming Up with Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya

 If you're like 97% of the nation (sorry, Hawaii), then you're probably doing what you can to stay warm. That includes getting some warm food in your bellies! We have a windchill of -8 here... whoa! That's not something us southerners are used to, but we do know the perfect foods to help out.

Last night I cooked chicken and shrimp jambalaya. For an Irish girl taking a stab at some Cajun cooking, I'm quite pleased with the outcome. It was a Weight Watchers recipe that I found, but I ended tweaking it some to make it cleaner and to go with what I already had on hand. Man, oh man, jambalaya recipes can have an ingredient list a mile long! I tend to get overwhelmed, so I tried making it as simple as possible! The end result was delish. (Ah, sorry for the slang. I couldn't help myself!) If you prefer milder foods, then this one is a good call. I prefer spicier dishes, so I may add some more Cajun seasoning next time. I ended up adding hot sauce to my bowl for the extra kick.

I added the nutrition info below. You'll see it's chocked-full of protein (24g for only 1 cup), with healthy carbs from the tomatoes, peppers, and brown rice. It was super easy to make, too. My kiddo isn't a fan of shrimp, but he loved having the chicken in there. You can also add sausage for more protein. I prefer chicken sausage, but Andouille is a good choice if you're going for the full Cajun experience.

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup celery, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
• 1 15 ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth,
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice, uncooked
• 8 ounces cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp
• 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

 

 

Directions

1. In a medium or large crockpot, combine celery, onion, tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce, and Cajun seasoning. Stir in chicken.

 

2. Cover and cook on low-heat for 5 to 6 hours (or on high-heat for 2-1/2 to 3 hours).

 

3. While the chicken mixture is cooking, prepare the brown rice according to the package instructions.

 

4. Add the cooked rice, shrimp, and pepper and cook for the last 20 minutes in the crockpot.

 

Nutritional Info (per 1 cup serving, makes 6 servings):

 

Calories: 209

Carbs: 25g

Fat: 2g

Fiber: 3g

Protein: 24g

Sugar: 4g