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Hot & Spicy Jambalaya

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It’s hereeeee!!!!!  My favorite food day of the year – National Hot & Spicy Day!

Hot Spicy Jambalaya 10 | Inspiration KitchenAnd, I’m bringing back an old favorite.  Our very most, favorite-ist dish ever.

You may not remember, but I promised you this recipe well over a year ago.  But, forgive me… I was a such a blogging rookie then!  I really mean it this time.  For real.  I’m givin’ you a recipe.  Pinkie-swear promise.

Now I don’t usually bring you 10 photos per post – but in honor of National Hot & Spicy day, I’ve not only brought you a dish known for being spicy, but I’ve packed this one with heat!  Can you think of anything more perfect?

Now, the secret to this recipe is two things:

  1. Getting ready
  2. The secret is in the sauce

Because this recipe isn’t fast and easy.  I’m just sayin’.  This one needs some lovin’ in the kitchen and takes a while to prep.

I provided the complete recipe below, but I wanted to give you some eye-candy photos so you can see how I do it, and what things may look like through the process.

First, get all your ingredients prepped and ready.

Hot Spicy Jambalaya 01 | Inspiration KitchenDon’t forget to put the pasta water on.  This may seem like a simple step, but given that this recipe is, uh, somewhat complicated and takes a while to prep, the simple essentials can be easily overlooked or forgotten.

Hot Spicy Jambalaya 02 | Inspiration KitchenGet a big skillet, and start sauteing the veggies until they’re almost done; you want them to still have some crisp, because they will keep cooking!  You’ll end up setting these aside before they’re completely done.

Hot Spicy Jambalaya 03 | Inspiration Kitchen

Next, get your sauce started (don’t forget – the secret’s in the sauce!).  And, be sure to do a little do-dad with your cream and impress your neighbors.

Hot Spicy Jambalaya 04 | Inspiration Kitchen

And finally stir it all in until it looks smooth ~ like spicy silk (yes…, I am sure there is such a thing).

It should be this rich red-orange spicy looking color.  Don’t let it scare ya.

Hot Spicy Jambalaya 05 | Inspiration KitchenUsing the skillet you had the veggies in, saute the chicken until nearly done.  Go ahead and get the sides a bit crispy, because why not?  They are mmmm-mmmm tasty that way!

Hot Spicy Jambalaya 06 | Inspiration KitchenNext, add in the shrimpies with the chickie and saute until opaque.

Add your veggies that you set aside earlier.

Hot Spicy Jambalaya 07 | Inspiration KitchenThen, add your Andouille sausage.  They’re pre-cooked, so they won’t take long.  They just need to get warmed through and piping hot!

Hot Spicy Jambalaya 08 | Inspiration KitchenAt this point (now this is important 🙂 ), if ya want, throw a piece of linguine at your cabinet.  If it sticks, it’s done.  Yes, I do this every time I make spaghetti, linguine or fettucini.  Al dente every.single.time.

Hot Spicy Jambalaya 09 | Inspiration KitchenNow here are a just a few helpful notes:

There are 3 things this recipe is:

  1. nap-worthy and nap-kin worthy
  2. rich, spicy, filling and delicious
  3. hhhooottt and spicy!

There are 3 things this recipe is not:

  1. for the spice-challenged
  2. quick and easy to prepare (plan to settle in for an hour or two)
  3. a one-pot meal

p.s.  And an extra little tip-sy just ’cause I love ya?  Leave the jalapenos sliced in rounds for the spice-challenged.  That way, they get the benefit of the flavor, but they can easily pick them out if they don’t like the heat!

But, if you’re willing to take a walk on the wild side,  feel free to dice them up for an extra spicy bite!

I have to admit…with this post, I kind of feel like I’ve come full circle.  The feature photo of the finished dish?  It was taken in November of 2012, before I knew anything about my camera.  I feel like I’ve done it justice by bringing it back a bit over a year later.  I feel complete somehow.

🙂

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Hot & Spicy Jambalaya

A deliciously hot and spicy Jambalaya packed with Cajun flavors.
Course: Main
Author: Kristi

Ingredients

Pasta

  • 1 lb. box of Linguine noodles cooked per package instructions

Sauce

  • 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
  • 1 14.5 ounce can chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 tablespoon thyme
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
  • 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream

Main

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/3 cup onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped
  • 1/2 cup green bell pepper chopped
  • 8 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 to 2 large jalapenos sliced with seeds (see note)

---

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 large chicken breasts skinned, chopped
  • 1 pound raw shrimp peeled, deveined and tails removed
  • 4 medium Cajun-style andouille sausages cured, sliced
  • 3 stalks green onion 1/2 cup chopped

Instructions

Pasta

  • Cook pasta per directions on package to al dente.

Sauce

  • In small saucepan, add chicken broth, tomato paste, Liquid Smoke and sriracha, whisking to get sauce smooth. Add oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes and Cajun seasoning. Pour in whipping cream. Let simmer on medium-low to low heat for 30 minutes (do not allow to boil or scorch).
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep skillet and saute onions, red pepper, green pepper, garlic and jalapeno until just starting to soften and become transluscent.
  • Remove vegetables from pan and set aside.
  • Add butter to pan and saute chicken on high for 3 minutes to seer and lock in juices. Turn down to medium. Saute chicken until nearly done. Add shrimp to pan and continue to cook until shrimp is nearly done. Add Andouille sausage. Cook chicken, shrimp and Andouille sausage until chicken is done, shrimp are opaque and Andouille is heated through. (Drain juices if there is a lot of juice). Add veggies and toss all together.
  • Toss meats/veggies with sauce and serve over pasta in large bowls. Top with green onions as garnish.

Notes

I slice the jalapenos in rounds and leave the seeds in for extra heat. You can remove the seeds and dice the jalapenos for less heat. If you leave them cut into rounds, you still get the flavor of the jalapenos, but they are easier to remove for the spice-challenged.

 

 

Comments

  1. Ashley says

    My husband would go nutssss for this! He orders jambalaya when we go out and has asked me to make it so many times …. and I haven’t. haha oops! Maybe it’s time to change that!

    Reply

  2. Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says

    Ok, you’re always hilarious, but I literally burst out laughing on this one (and it’s still kinda early and I’m only half awake, so that’s really saying a lot)! That pic of your linguine stuck to the door? I’m still giggling!!! 😀 But seriously – this recipe looks utterly fantastic! I can see why it’s your favorite-ist! We’re gonna looooove it! Great tips about controlling the heat a bit with the jalapenos!

    Reply

  5. Monica says

    Oh man, does this look awesome! Jambalaya is definitely one of those special dishes to order at a restaurant but it would feel amazing to be able to make at home. I love spicy and every male in my family would love this. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Reply

    • Kristi says

      I’m so glad you like it Monica – my family loves it to – and it’s much better at home because you can put as much amounts of any of the ingredients you want to. Enjoy!

      Reply

  7. Josefine {The Smoothie Lover} says

    Yaaaay! I’ve been so excited for this day 😀 I’m happy I’m not the only one
    Wuuhuuu – national hot and spicy food day for the win. I just posted my recipe. Yum yum!
    This dish looks SO good. Wow.
    And I’ve never heard of the linguine trick before. Awesome. So going to check if the pasta is done that way next time I’m making pasta.

    Reply

    • Kristi says

      I am sssssoooo glad you joined me Josefine – what a fun thing to do together. I’m hopping over to your site right now to see what you made! I am so excited!

      Reply

  9. Cindy @ Pick Fresh Foods says

    Kristi, this looks delicious! I will have to tone it down because I am a spice challenged person. Ummm, all those shrimp in the pan look yummy. I have been wanting to have shrimp, so your timing is perfect my friend 😀

    Reply

    • Kristi says

      Thanks Cindy! Toning it down is a great idea if you’re spice-challenged – which is exactly why I mentioned that in the post (many of my friends are too!). As you know, I’m a spice-lover, plus it was Hot & Spicy Day, so I had to rise to the occasion and crank up the heat! I hope you have a beautiful week!

      Reply

    • Kristi says

      Most restaurants DO serve it with rice! But, they typically overload it with rice and it overwhelms the dish. There’s one place we get it locally (when I don’t make it at home) that uses Linguine, which is what I modeled this dish after. We prefer it much more than rice – and we don’t overwhelm each dish with tons of noodles! Try it and let me know if you like it! Have a great day!

      Reply

  11. Renee@Two in the Kitchen says

    Happy Hot and Spicy Day!! What a FUN day! Wish I realized that before the day is now over!! 😉 Well, I am channeling all the spice I can from this dish!! And this Jambalaya has made me want to go to New Orleans even more now. (Like that BBQ shrimp dish you have too!) One day…..one day……

    Reply

  13. Kelly says

    This jambalaya look so awesome Kristi! We love spicy food and will order jambalaya once in a while but I would definitely love to try making it at home. Pinning to try yours, thanks so much for sharing and hope you have a great weekend 🙂

    Reply

    • Kristi says

      That’s right – there’s always next year! I learned the Sriracha trick from a local restaurant that serves up the best Jambalaya! It makes it creamy and spicy! Have a great week!

      Reply

  16. Consuelo @ Honey & Figs says

    This dish looks like it’s worth every bit of effort. Oh Kristi girl, you’ve outdone yourself this time… Hot and spicy??? It’s just my kind of thing! And jambalaya is always awesome!
    I really really really like this! <3

    Reply

    • Kristi says

      You called it! It’s definitely worth it!!! It was Hot & Spicy Day after all – I had to step up to the occasion! Haha! But, the truth is – this IS exactly how we eat it. Crazy! Have a wonderful weekend!

      Reply

  18. GiGi Eats Celebrities says

    OMG I MUST MAKE THIS – but a bit of a milder version! I loveeeee all of these proteins mixed together. PARTY IN MY MOUTH!! 😀

    Reply

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