Easy Chicken Jambalaya

It’s no secret that we LOVE quick & easy freezer meals around here, especially ones that use budget-friendly ingredients! Believe it or not, this tender, juicy, flavor-packed Chicken Jambalaya is a winner. It’s uses mostly basic ingredients, whips up in minutes, then goes straight from the freezer to the crockpot to the table, all while tasting like you spent hours slaving away in the kitchen!

To make it as part of a freezer cooking day, just split the sauce & chicken into multiple bags, then throw it right into the freezer–no cooking required!

You can use any type of chicken but my family much prefers the boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which are a darker, juicier meat and also tend to be cheaper than the boneless skinless breasts.

Here is what you need:

Step 1: Dice green peppers and onion and set aside.

Step 2: Chop celery and set aside.

Step 3: Cut chicken into cubes; set aside.

Step 4: Slice sausage into bite size pieces; set aside.

Step 5: In a large bowl mix together: stock, Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, diced peppers, onions, celery, cayenne, and red pepper flakes.

Step 6:Divide chicken and sausage into 2 gallon size freezer bags ( be sure to label bags first.) Divide sauce mixture over top chicken and sausage.

Step 7: Thaw if frozen; cook in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours; until chicken is cooked. (Note-don’t worry if your chicken isn’t all the way thawed. It can also cook from frozen, it might just take a little longer.)

Step 8: Once chicken is cooked, then cook rice according to package instructions ( I used a box of Zatarians Jambalaya Mix, instead of plain rice.) If using plain rice, add butter to rice and top with a large spoonful of Jambalaya and serve in bowls with your favorite hot sauce.