Whip up this simple recipe and get ready for a dinner the whole family will love!

If you ask a dozen people how they make their jambalaya, you’ll have a dozen very good but different recipes.

This easy version of chicken and sausage jambalaya is filled with flavor and cooked in the slow cooker, making it the perfect mid-week meal. Add a simple salad to make this dish a fabulous dinner! (We like to use the leftovers to make stuffed peppers as an additional, delicious meal.)

Make-ahead meal

This slow-cooked jambalaya recipe can be prepped the night before to save on time. Add all the slow cooker ingredients to your slow cooker dish, cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, cook as directed.

To further save on time, chop your veggies on your food prep day. Pre-chopping, cutting or cooking ingredients really helps to reduce stress and simplify dinner on busy weeknights. We know, we know, we’re always talking about meal prep, but it truly is the holy grail to healthy eating!

Tips when making Slow Cooker Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya:

1. You can freeze the leftovers up to 6 months to use at a later time.
2. The type of rice you use is IMPERATIVE when it comes to successful jambalaya. If you use a highly processed rice instead of whole grain rice, you’re going to have a mushy mess. Whole grain rice takes quite a while to cook and when done in a slow cooker, can cook to perfection. If you prefer farro or a grain other than brown rice, just make sure it’s 100% whole grain.
3. If you want to add shrimp, wait until the last 30 minutes to add it or grill it and add it when serving.
4. For a little heat, add finely chopped jalapeno or cayenne pepper to suit your families flavor preferences. We’re spice people, so this is something we often add to our meals.

Some ways to “reinvent” your leftover jambalaya:

• Serve it with eggs: We stumbled upon this one by accident and it’s actually become one of our favorites! Make two sunny-side up eggs (per person) and serve them with leftover jambalaya, topped with a few avocado slices. It’s so simple and hands down one of the best breakfasts EVER!
• Stuffed Peppers: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bell pepper and clean out seeds. Place on pan and bake 15 minutes. While peppers are baking, combine jambalaya, additional ingredients of your choice (cheese, veggies) and some of your favorite spaghetti sauce in a bowl. Mix. Remove pepper from oven, stuff with mixture and bake an additional 7-12 minutes until pepper is desired texture. Top with avocado (optional), serve and enjoy!
• In a roasted Portobello mushroom cap: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place cleaned mushroom caps, stem/gill side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes, until caps are soft. Remove from the oven and carefully flip the mushroom caps over. If water accumulates on the baking sheet, drain the liquid. Evenly spoon leftover jambalaya mixture in the cup of each cap. Top with cheese. Return to the oven for an additional 15 minutes, until mushrooms are tender, the mixture is warm and the cheese is bubbling.