• 1 lb. boneless chicken, cubed; and/or
• 1 lb. shrimp, boiled in Zatarain's and peeled; or
• 1 lb. leftover holiday turkey, cubed; or
• 1 lb. of any kind of poultry or fish, cubed; or
• Any combination of the above



• 1 lb. (hot) smoked sausage, andouille or chaurice, sliced; or
• 1 lb. diced smoked ham



• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 3 - 6 cloves garlic, minced (amount to taste; I like lots)
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 small cans tomato paste



• 4 large Creole tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced; or
• 1 28-oz. can tomatoes



• 2-1/2 cups good chicken stock



• Creole seasoning to taste (or 2 - 3 tablespoons); or
• 2 teaspoons cayenne,
• 2 teaspoons black pepper,
• 1 teaspoon white pepper,
• 1 teaspoon oregano,
• 1/2 teapsoon thyme



• 2 bay leaves
• Salt to taste
• 4 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked (Some people like converted rice, others prefer good old Mahatma.)

Brown the chicken, sprinkling with Tony Chachere's seasoning if you've got it; a bit of salt, black pepper and red pepper otherwise. Don't brown if using leftover cooked bird, but you still might want to season the meat. Tear or cut the meat into bite-size pieces.

Brown the sliced smoked sausage or andouille and pour off fat. In the pot, sauté the onions, garlic, peppers and celery in oil until onions begin to turn transparent.

In a separate sauté pan, begin to cook the tomato paste and pincé, meaning to let it brown a little (a non-stick pan works best for this). What we're going for here is to brown the tomato paste; the sugar in the tomato paste begins to caramelize, deepening the flavor and color. Keep it moving so that it browns but doesn't burn. Some friends of mine hate this step, so you can skip it if you want, but then it won't be Chuck's jambalaya. :^)

Deglaze the pan with the stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to mix up the browned bits, and stir until smooth. Add to the sautéed vegetables And combine thoroughly. It should be pretty thick. If it isn't thick enough, you can add a little more tomato paste. If you think it's too much of a pain to brown the tomato paste, then omit this step. It's certainly optional; it's just that it tastes better when I opt to do it this way. :^)

Add the Creole seasoning, tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the meat and/or seafood and cook another 10 minutes; if you're using seafood, be careful not to overcook it.

Prepare the 4 cups of rice according to recipe. When done, combine with the rest of the ingredients and mix well. You may have to add more rice, or more tomato sauce to get the right consistency, not too dry and not too runny. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Place in a large baking dish (or dishes) and bake in a 300 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until the jambalaya has thoroughly "set".

Serve with salad and French bread.