It only makes sense that New Orleans invented the dish that is by far the most fun to say (pronounced jamba-LAY-a. At the top of your lungs. With Jazz hands.) And it just happens to be fun to make also! Whether you’re cooking solo on a weeknight, post happy hour with your girls, or during a one-on-one iron chef battle with your s.o. (guilty), this guilt free jambalaya is delish, healthy, and so so easy to make.

You’ll need:

a large skillet
10 oz. Turkey sausage
1 whole Green or Yellow Pepper
1 can STEWED tomatoes (make sure they’re stewed ladies!)
2 cups uncooked instant brown rice (instant is a must, any other kind will result in al dente Jambalaya. Yuck.)
8 chicken tenders, uncooked.
1 bunch fresh green onions.Chop up your pepper(s, if you love the spice). I only use one–because I’m still trying to teach myself to eat all my veggies– and prefer yellow because of the color it adds to the dish.

Slice the roots and tops off of your onions, then cut (the smaller the better). *Tip after slicing your green onions, wash your knife & hands, then rub your fingertips on the flat side of the knife (obv.) Tada! your digits won’t smell like onion all night.

Now slice about 8 oz. of sausage to the thickness of your liking. Teehee! Optional: dice another 2 oz. for more even distribution. Don’t be grossed out or worried if some of it squeezes out of the lining, it’s all good once it hits the skillet.

Speaking of the skillet, now would be a good time to start heating it up on medium.

Cut up your chicken strips into bite sized pieces.

Toss your sausage and pepper into the skillet, stirring for about 5 minutes, until sausage is evenly browned.

Crank that bad boy up to high, add a cup and a half of rice, 3/4 cup of water, a pinch of salt, and stir until it boils.

At this point, your skillet should look like a gross, gunky mess, but trust me you have done nothing wrong and this will only result in deliciousness

Once it’s boiling, cover and turn the heat to low and let the soupy mixture simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the rice is cooked.Remove from heat. Mix in your green onions and serve! Goes best with a SoCo & Lime to maintain that Southern Hospitality.