Chipotle Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya

This versatile dish makes for a hearty winter's warmer, or a neat summer treat.  The sweetness of the kidney beans and the turkey sausage combined is what gives this meal its great flavor.  Serve over rice, and you'll have yourself a one-dish make-ahead meal!


Ingredients
2 T olive oil
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound smoked turkey sausage, sliced
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 cans petite diced tomatoes, with chipotle flavor (such as Western Family brand)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail off
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup harvest medley (or wild) rice

Make-Ahead Preparation:

• Heat oil in a large pan with lid; swirl to coat.  Add bell peppers, onion, garlic, and sausage; sautee three minutes, or until onion and peppers are tender, stirring occasionally.
• Transfer bell pepper mixture to freezer dish or freezer bag; add broth, tomatoes, shrimp, and kidney beans.  Stir.
• Tip:  I like to add the shrimp to the dish last, so that they freeze on top and get nicely steamed when cooked!

To Serve:

• Prepare rice according to package instructions.
• Saucepan instructions (preferred):  Place thawed jambalaya mixture in a saucepan over medium-high heat; cover.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat, and simmer covered for three minutes, or until shrimp are pink and cooked through.
• Slow cooker instructions (also preferred):  Place frozen jambalaya mixture in slow cooker and heat on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours, until boiling.
• Microwave instructions:  Heat thawed or frozen jumbalaya mixture in microwave, stirring occasionally, until mixture is boiling and shrimp are pink and cooked through.
• Serve jumbalaya over rice.

Makes approximately 8 1-cup servings.

Sometimes I'll substitute turkey kielbasa for the smoked turkey sausage.  Also, to cut down on service time even more, consider using frozen microwave rice, such as Trader Joe's brown rice.

When cooking the dish for serving, be careful not to overcook the shrimp, as this will make them tough and chewy, rather than succulent and delicious!