Ingredients:

1/4-1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 lbs sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 cups diced ham - optional*
4 slices bacon, crisped or 1/2 lb pork sides, crisped - optional*
kosher salt and ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
4 cups onion, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
2 cups green bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
5 cups chicken stock or water flavored with chicken bouillon
4 cups long grain rice
2 tbsp kitchen bouquet
2 tbsp seasoning salt
2 tsp old bay seafood seasoning
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
2 cups green onions, chopped
parsley, to taste

Fry the bacon until crisp and/or pork sides till almost charred; remove from pan and set aside. Season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder; brown in hot oil in 8 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook 5-to-7 minutes.

Remove chicken and sausage from pan; set aside. Add onions, celery, green peppers and minced garlic; cook, stirring 7-10 minutes or until vegetables begin to wilt. Stir in chicken stock, reserved chicken and sausage, seasoning salt, Kitchen Bouquet, Old Bay seasoning, oregano and thyme. Bring to a boil.

Add rice and return to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 10 minutes; remove cover and quickly turn rice from top to bottom completely. Replace cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Stir in green onions. Sprinkle with parsley.

For brown jambalaya, add 1 heaping tbsp. brown sugar to hot oil and caramelize, or make a roux, or use Kitchen Bouquet. For red jambalaya, add approximately 1/4 cup paprika or use 1/2 stock and 1/2 tomato juice or V-8 for your liquid. For seafood jambalaya, add cooked seafood when rice is cooked.

If using an electric stove, reduce cooking time by 3-4 minutes.

TIPS:

1. Use 1 cup of rice for every 2 cups of vegetables (onion, celery, bell pepper).

2. Use 1-1/4 cups of liquid for every 1 cup of uncooked rice 1 cup of uncooked rice will make 3 cups of cooked rice, so season accordingly!

3. Cook jambalaya for a total of 25 to 30 minutes, stirring well after 10 minutes.

12 to 15 servings.

Submitted by: The Colonel