I don’t know what it’s like where you are, but here in Indiana it is just so.dang.cold every day. Most days the only time I actually feel warm is while I’m blow-drying my hair (on the hottest setting, mind you), so I’ve really been in need of some hearty, warming soups and stews to get me through these last winter months. This one-pot meal was a welcome addition to our menu. With chicken, shrimp and andouille sausage, it reminded me of a deliciously chunky risotto. I think the use of chicken thighs added a ton of flavor to this dish, so though I often try to substitute chicken breasts when possible, I think the thighs are important in this recipe.
This recipe makes good use of the food processor to significantly decrease prep time by pulsing the vegetables, rather than chopping them finely by hand. You can certainly do it by hand if you wish, but I really appreciate any little time-saving step. (Plus, Andrew loves to shout “GO!” before I turn on the food processor.) Different varieties of andouille will have different levels of spiciness, so you may need to adjust your spices accordingly. It seems the version sold at our butcher shop is on the mild side, so I seasoned with a Cajun spice blend just before serving and that did the trick. So settle in, make some spicy jambalaya, and let’s wait out the cold together :)