Today, I was lucky enough to have an expert chef join me in my kitchen. Her lifetime of knowledge and her very particular palette are what I aim to please with each dish I create. She is my inspiration through and through!

Yes. That's right... Chef Lily spent some of her very valuable time lending me a hand with dinner.

Don't worry folks. She's not as intimidating as she looks!

Seriously.

This meal is so easy to toss together that you can readily do the chopping and let your four year old do everything else! Just don't let your own mini chef add sprinkles to your jambalaya as mine attempted to.

I've never made jambalaya before, so I was pretty excited to try this out. Especially since it involved a crock pot! Anything to keep from turning my stove or oven on for the next few months...

When adapting this recipe, I did swap out shrimp for a traditional cajun style sausage, because well... there's no sea food eaters in my house. The seasonings were amazing. The spice was just enough to kick my tastebuds without being too harsh. Next time though, I may double the cayenne since I like it hot.

I was really amazed with how perfectly the rice cooked up in exactly 30 minutes. Absorbing all the liquid, spices and flavors that had been simmering during the day. Plus, this makes a lot of jambalaya. My crock pot was pretty full at the end of the cooking.

Needless to say, we'll be having leftovers for another meal or two - and I almost can't wait for dinner tonight so that I can have it again!

Crock Pot Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya
Adapted from UNCLE BEN’S® Chicken & Shrimp Jambalaya
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 8 • Size: About 1 Cup • Calories: 204.5 • Fat: 5.1 g • Carb: 17.7 g • Fiber: 3.2 g • Protein: 23 g • Sugar: 7.4 g • Sodium: 589.1 mg

Ingredients:
1 Lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Cubed into 3/4-1" Pieces
9 Oz. (3 Links) Andouille Cajun Style Pork Sausage
2 C. Celery, Sliced
2 C. Onion, Chopped
2 C. Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
1 (14.5 Oz.) Can 'No Salt Added' Diced Tomatoes
1 (6 Oz.) Can Tomato Paste
4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1/4 Tsp. Onion Powder
1/4 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 Tsp. White Pepper
1/4 Tsp. Paprika
1/4 Tsp. Black Pepper
1/8 Tsp. Cayenne
Salt to Taste (I used 1/4 Tsp.)
1 1/2 C. UNCLE BEN’S® Instant Brown Rice
2 C. Bell Pepper, Chopped (I used half of a red and half of a green.)
2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley

Directions:

Toss all of the ingredients into the crock pot except for the rice, bell pepper and parsley.

Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 - 4 hours or on high for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

If using the low setting, turn up to the high setting and add in the bell pepper.

Cover and cook for another 2 hours on low or 1 hour on high.

This helps get the bell pepper cooked and tender without falling completely apart and into mush.

About 30 minutes prior to serving, add in the rice.

Cover and continue to cook for about 30 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked.

Once done, garnish with parsley and serve warm!