Oven Jambalaya – Easy and Delicious!
THEY WILL SCRAPE THE POT CLEAN!
I swear it. This is not your typical bayou jambalaya, nor is this your typical Cajun or even Creole jambalaya. This jambalaya knows no such boundaries.
This is (almost) a no-fail jambalaya. If you can open a can, use a measuring cup, turn on the oven, slice sausage, and set a timer, then you can WOW your next 8-person gathering with this imported, adapted, Bayou Woman dish.
And of course, I must tell you the background story. My dad took medical retirement at the early age of 55, and not wanting to sit around watching game shows, he not only took up wood working, but he also took up cooking. Oh, he was already a master of the “Gas Grill” developed by Arkla Gas, the company from which he retired, but he hadn’t spent much time at the “stove”.
One day, he came upon a recipe published in the Shreveport Times developed by two little old maids. On his first attempt, he followed their recipe to the T, but over time, he adapted it by cooking the rice separately, which technically then makes it no longer jambalaya, so it became what we now know as “Redneck Gumbo“. (Click to read the full story of how it got its name!)
Well, when I finally got my grubby little paws on the recipe back then, I made the original oven version, because the flavor of the rice baked in the soups was soooo very tasty. Recently, I had an envie for this lip-smacking dish, so I resurrected it from memory; and it was SO GOOD, I just knew I had to share it with y’all.
Fall will be here before you know it, and this dish screams for cooler temps and hungry bellies! So, here’s the original recipe. Go buy the ingredients and the sides, call up your friends, and have a sit-down dinner for 8 while you talk about your favorite blogs AND food, of course! Then be sure and let us know how you liked it.
Oven Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 1 Pound small La. shrimp, peeled and de-veined If shrimp are larger, cut in half
- 1 Stick butter
- 4 Stalks celery chopped
- 1 Medium bell pepper chopped
- 4 Green onion tops chopped
- 1 Pound smoked sausage or Andouille, I don't like to eat a big hunk of sausage, so I slice and quarter it so it spreads throughout the dish., sliced
- 1 Can Campbell's French Onion Soup
- 1 Can Campbell's Beef Consume'
- Cups Water: Enough to bring total liquid to 5 and 1/2 *
- 3 Cups rice Jasmine rice preferred
- 1/8 tsp . black pepper
- 1/4 tsp . Cajun/creole Seasoning
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350
- Melt 1 stick butter in heavy stainless, cast-iron, or Magnelite Dutch oven pot on medium-low heat
- Add chopped celery and bell pepper - saute' until soft
- Add shrimp, saute' five minutes
- Add sausage and cook 10 minutes stirring often
- Raise heat to medium and add French onion soup, beef consume', green onion, seasonings
- Stir and bring to a boil
- Add rice and return to boil, stirring constantly so rice does not stick or brown
- Turn off heat, cover, and put in the oven for one hour - DO NOT OPEN OR STIR
- Check at one hour to see if all liquid has cooked out, if so, remove from oven
- Place on stove and let sit covered for 10 minutes.
- If liquid is not cooked out, remove lid and bake for 5 minute increments until all liquid is absorbed then set on stove as above but DO NOT STIR DURING THIS TIME.
- After 10 minutes, fluff lightly with a fork. Grains of rice should be fully cooked and fluffy--not gummy
- (If your rice is gummy, that means two things: A little too much water and you stirred when I said not to!)
- Serve with green salad and fresh, buttered French bread
I love this recipe. I use the slow cooker for it now. I’ll be happy when it is actually cool enough to cook soups/stews, etc.
Where did you get your recipe, Cammy? Thanks for sharing how this can be done in the crockpot!
I got it from you back in 2009. I just adapted it to the slow cooker/crockpot since I worked at the food bank at the time and it was cooler in the kitchen. I have added other items to it sometimes. I tried oysters once and it was fantastic. Also some well washed and tied up in cheese cloth (to hold shells) crab legs. I simply served them on top of the bowls with fresh, chopped parsley. I like to experiment. I did use the Andouille sausage just once. It was so good but my ulcer said nope, use milder stuff. This is one gumbo or jambalaya my husband will actually eat a full bowl of since he doesn’t like the rue.
Yum yum yum! I love the idea of the crab legs. Speaking of crab legs . . . I fried some soft shell crab last night, and although they look like huge, fried spiders, legs all dangly, they are absolutely so delicious. They truly area a delicacy. Have you ever had them? Life here has me by the tail; hence, no new posts lately. So much to take care of at home and at work, etc. There’s just not enough time in the day to wonder around in my boat like I love and long to do again. . . maybe soon.
I’ve never had the soft shell that I know of. I probably couldn’t eat them though. I can’t even eat a potato chip anymore because my dentures are messed up. They do sound delicious though.
Sounds easy enough and also sounds tasty.
I’m also interested in finding out how this is adapted to the slow cooker. The kitchen would be a lot cooler using this method.
I saute the pepper, celery and green onions on stove top, add the sausage for a few minutes then put it in the slow cooker with remaining ingredients except the shrimp. I do use some clam juice for some of the liquid instead of water. About 30 to 45 minutes before we are ready to eat, I add the shrimp. This is one dish I can fix while I am out all day (6 to 8 hrs)and it is good.
Your gang will love it! I promise!
This is a great way to make really large amounts of jambalaya. I’m living in Oregon, but when we have “new” family get-togethers (hubby’s Oregon family) I try to do something cajun for the group, such as jambalaya or my mom’s barbecued beef recipe, gumbo, fried fish. Out here they like to cook the fish in batter so when I used a cornmeal mix you can see their eyes glaze over in happiness.
Hope all is well with you and your family
Yes, great idea! I love that you bring south Louisiana to Oregon for new family get togethers! Keep that south La. spirit alive! We are doing fine, Jeri! T
Yes, we are. People can always tell where I’m from about the time “y’all” drawls out of my mouth. LOL!!
I was getting groceries yesterday to fix the grand daughter her requested “Sweet Sixteen” birthday lunch today consisting of her favorite Taco Nachos and lo and behold but, they had 5 lb boxes of seasoned, pre-cooked, frozen crab legs on sale. I had promised my grandson who has his 21st birthday next month, that if they went on sale again before his birthday, I would buy a box just for him as a birthday present.
He got them 3 weeks early but, he is so happy.I think he already threatened his dad with dire consequences of he got into them. 🙂 They both love crab legs.
What kind of crab legs? And where from? I’ve never seen such a thing, so I’m naturally curious about the details!
Kroger grocery store west of us carries them in their seafood dept. They are snow crab leg clusters. I’m not sure of the brand. They are pre-cooked and ready to thaw and eat. The box is white with a big photo of them on the front.
They were $39.95 for a box while on sale. I noticed Sams carries them in 10 lb boxes for $109.
WOW!
Ah, okay! I was wondering what the appeal would be if it were a box of blue crab legs! I should have known better, LOL! I suspected as much, but you just never know!
I believe this is the recipe you’ve given me before. In typical fashion, I didn’t have some of the ingredients on hand so I doctored your version. I used 5 1/2 cups of water, 4 beef bouillon cubes and a packet of dry French Onion soup mix. I think it turned out just fine. In fact, I bought all of the ingredients yesterday to make this for dinner tomorrow night. Well, except the soups, I never can remember to buy those. Lol
I think your substitutes work perfectly well! This was one I never published but shared with a few friends via email. I hope everybody loves it!