jambalaya, the bulk way

those of you who know me, know i like to make food in bulk. not just because i love to share what i make, but also because jesse is my boyfriend, lol. here's one of my most favorite dishes: jambalaya. this serves 16-20.

ingredients:
4 cups of rice
1/2 lb of ground turkey
1 full link of hillshire farm polska kielbasa or smoked sausage (by all means, feel free to substitute this with smoked turkey--it's just as good), sliced
3 breasts of chicken (perdue pre-packages these, it's easier this way), chopped
1/2 lb of pre-cooked shrimp
3 cups of tomato paste OR any flavor prego spaghetti/marinara sauce
2 tomatoes (stewed, or raw), diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/4 onion, diced
2 bay leaves (optional)
4 tbsp old bay seasoning
1 tbsp salt
4 tbsp pepper
1 tsp butter

simmer ground turkey on stove top in 1 tsp of olive oil until done (about 10 mins, stir/flip occasionally)
add diced green peppers and onions, stir occasionally, cook for 5 mins.
drain.

in a separate pan, add chopped chicken breasts and sliced kielbasa. cook until well done on stove top in 2 tsps of olive oil (about 10 mins, stir occasionally).
drain.

in a separate pan, simmer pre-cooked shrimp in 1tsp butter for about 5 mins. watch closely, stir often.

add ground turkey, diced peppers and onions to the chopped chicken breasts and sliced kielbasa. add shrimp, stir well.

cook 3 cups of rice separately until done. (without rice cooker, add 6 cups of water to 3 cups of rice, cook on medium setting until all water has disappeared. DO NOT stir.)

warm tomato paste adding 4 tbsp pepper, 1 tbsp salt, 4 tbsp old bay seasoning, 2 bay leaves, and diced tomatoes on stove top for 7-8 mins.

add the meat pot to the tomato sauce & seasonings pot. stir well.

you can decide the next part: either add the rice to the jambalaya (my favorite way) or serve the jambalaya on top of the rice, separately. and feel free to add more or less seasoning, to satisfy your taste.

it's always nice to add cornbread or biscuits to this meal, too :) it's a comfort food.

enjoy,
ronetta cheryll