Slow-Cooked Jambalaya-Style Red Beans and Rice*
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours, 30 minutes
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, quartered
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 (15.5-oz) can red beans, drained, rinsed (can substitute kidney or pinto beans)
1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp salt
1 (12-oz) pkg frozen shelled deveined cooked small shrimp, thawed
1/2 lb precooked kielbasa or Polish sausage, halved lengthwise, cut into 1-inch slices
4 cups uncooked instant white rice
4 cups water
In 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, layer all ingredients in order listed, except shrimp, sausage, rice and water.
Cover; cook on low setting for 6-8 hours.
About 10 minutes before serving, gently stir shrimp and sausage into chicken mixture. Remove and discard bay leaves. Increase heat setting to high; cover and cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until shrimp and sausage are hot.
Meanwhile, cook rice in water as directed on package. Serve meat mixture over rice. If desired, serve with hot pepper sauce.
Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 440 calories, 12 g fat