Bayou Magic

So not everything I will write about comes from scratch. In order to prepare good food in a short amount of time, it is always a good idea to know some short cuts. I grew up in Louisiana, and back home when we want to cook Jambalaya or other cajun foods at home, sometimes we would slave away making it from scratch, but often we would just used Bayou Magic mixes. They are really tasty. My favorite is Jambalaya, but I also enjoy Black Eyes Peas and the Red Beans, but really all of them are good. They are really simple to make, although they do require a little bit of time. Leftovers are easy to store and reheat.

Bayou Magic Store

Jambalaya(directions from back of pack):
chicken - I typically buy a 1.5lb pack of boneless skinless chicken breasts.
5 cups - water
1T - cajun seasoning

1 package - Bayou Magic Jambalaya Mix
1 can - cream of celery soup
1 can - french onion soup
1 small can - chopped/diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1lb - smoked sausage

Place the water, chicken, and cajun seasoning in a pot and boil for 15 minutes. While boiling, cut the sausage into small bite size pieces. Also open the cans. Remove the chicken from the water and set aside to cool. Add the remaining ingredients to the water and bring to a hard boil. Reduce to low and cover for 15 minutes, stirring 2-3 times. While the rice cooks, cut the chicken into small bite size pieces removing any skin, fat, and/or bones depending on the type of chicken used. After the 15 minutes, add the chicken and mix. Leave uncovered on low for 20 more minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve. Cool leftovers and place into storage containers. To reheat, portion out a serving into a bowl and place a moist paper towel over it. Heat on high in the microwave for 3 to 3:30 minutes. You might want to stir at least once while heating.

Variations:
- sometimes I use chicken thighs or a whole cut up chicken instead of just chicken breasts
- use different meats (crawfish tails, shrimp, game)
- use spicy sausage or andouille (cajun sausage)
- when adding the rice, soup, and sausage, add a good amount of hot sauce (I use about 1/2t of Dave's Insanity Sauce - this stuff is not for the weak - do not taste by itself)

Dave's Insanity Sauce @Amazon

Other notes:
- Jambalaya is excellent with cornbread
- I have a friend who would eat it on top of salad (which I usually serve it with)
- If I don't serve a salad, I usual serve asparagus with Jambalaya
- It really is a pain to find smoked beef sausage without a pork casing