Turkey, Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya

This morning I was greeted with the final container of leftover turkey as I grabbed some milk for breakfast.  I could see it sitting there in the glistening refrigerator light.  Its soft cries begging me to take it out of its misery and just finish it off.

I knew there was no way I could choke down yet another variation of turkey soup, sandwich, pot pie or casserole.  I needed to be creative and find something that included turkey without making it a focal point of the entire meal.  So after consulting one of my many fundraiser cookbooks, I found a wonderfully easy jambalaya recipe to serve as my inspiration for this dish.

Turkey, Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya
2 Tbl. olive oil
½ cup celery, diced
½ cup onion, diced
½ cup green bell pepper, diced
1 Tbl. jalapeño pepper, minced
1 ½ tsp. garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can black beans
2 (15 oz) cans chopped tomatoes, undrained
2 cups water, approximate
2 cups cooked turkey, diced
½ lb. smoked kielbasa sausage
2 cups white rice, instant
1 cup cooked shrimp, tails removed and thawed

Preheat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot over medium high heat.  Add the celery, onion, and green pepper to the pot.  Sauté for 2 – 3 minutes or until the green bell pepper is slightly tender.  Toss in the jalapeno pepper and garlic to the sautéed mixture.  Cook for an additional 1 minute.

Drain the tomatoes into a large measuring cup and add water for a total of 3 cups of liquid.  Set the liquid aside.  Add the black beans, drained tomatoes, turkey and sausage to the pot of sauted vegetables.  Next, slowly add the liquid to the pot and bring to a rolling boil.  Make sure to stir constantly to prevent burning.

While the liquid is boiling, stir in the rice.  Reduce heat to medium low and cover with a lid.  Allow the rice to absorb the liquid for approximately 5 -8 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and toss in the shrimp.  Cover and let stand for an additional 5 – 8 minutes.  This will heat the shrimp through and allow the rice to absorb the additional liquid.  Fluff with a fork before serving.  Makes 6 – 8 servings.

Authors Note:  Most jambalaya recipes are typically spicy.  The best part about this dish is, if you remove the seeds from the jalapeno peppers, it will be flavorful without all the heat.  I see this as a great family-friendly meal that is hearty and quite filling.  Also, if you no longer have any leftover turkey, substituting cooked chicken will work just fine.

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