Skillet Jambalaya

This recipe is for another easy meal that goes together very quickly when time is short and the family is hungry. It can also be made in advance and reheated in the microwave at dinner time. I love Cajun seasoning. It is a wonderful blend of flavors without being strong or over powering, so if you have not tried it before, this recipe would be a good one to start with. I hope your family meal time is a wonderful time of connecting with those you love. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 pkg. (14 oz.) fully cooked turkey sausage, sliced 1/4" thick
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (red also works very well, if you prefer)
3 cups chicken broth
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tsps. Cajun or Creole seasoning (or more, to taste)
1 garlic clove, minced (or more, to taste)
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 bay leaf
1 can (15 oz.) red beans, rinsed and drained
1-1/2 cups uncooked Minute instant brown rice
Olive oil

1. In a 12" skillet, lightly coated with olive oil, saute' sausage slices until lightly brown. Remove to bowl.
2. Add a little more oil to the pan and saute' celery, onion and green pepper until tender.
3. Add sausage back to the pan along with the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine and bring mixture to a boil.
4. Lower heat; cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir, remove bay leaf and serve.

Serves:  6
Note: I made this dish last evening, 12/10/13, and found that the can of tomatoes I purchased were more juicy than normal making the dish "soupy" after the 15 minutes of cooking time. What to do? I removed the lid and allowed it to simmer for another 10 minutes or so, until the extra liquid cooked away. Worked great and dinner no longer was Cajun soup.