Jambalaya Sandwich

I saw Guy Fieri do this sandwich about 8 months ago on TV. 

I've been thinking of it ever since.
What's not to like about a jambalaya sandwich?

Some people, purists like my sister, might enjoy it best in the traditional way with rice.
But I have a very nice recipe already on my blog for Jambalaya, and I needed it in a sandwich! 

What an easy way to fill a bun; meat, sauce, veggies and zesty spices dumped into your bread of choice and enjoyed right away.  I wouldn't want to eat jambalaya on a hot day, but I would always, always want it in a sandwich!

What about you?

If so, go for it!

This is easy and comes together quickly too.  My only advice is to use a sturdy roll or baguette for this.  The hoagie rolls I used were too soft and after a couple of minutes made the bread soggy so we couldn't pick these up anymore.... though it just might have been the amount of sauce I added to mine. I love sauce...

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 cup peppers

1 cup onions

1 cup celery

3-4 garlic cloves, crushed or minced

1-3 Tbsp olive oil

2 chicken breasts

1 lb andouille sausage or hot links, sliced

1 lb prawns, cleaned and tails pulled off

1 can tomatoes, diced with their juice

1/2 can of tomato paste (about 2-3 Tbsp)

1 tsp thyme, dried or fresh

1 tsp oregano, dried or fresh

1-3 Tbsp Frank's red Hot, or other hot sauce

Salt & pepper to taste

Heat the oven to 300 degrees to warm your sandwich buns, if desired.

In a large dutch oven, over medium high heat, add the olive oil, onions, peppers and celery.  Saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions have started to soften up and take on some brownish color.  Add the garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes. Remove the sauteed veggies to a side plate, and use the same pan to brown the chicken in a little more oil for about 6-7 minutes, add the sausage and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add reserved cooked veggies.

This is what it looked like right before I added the tomatoes. It will be much saucier in a minute...

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and spices.  Bring to a boil and add the shrimp.  Turn down to medium and cook for about 2-3 more minutes until the shrimp are pink, stirring occasionally.  Add hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste. 

Add to rolls and serve!

 

Like unusual Sandwiches?  Me too....
BBT- Bacon, Basil & Tomato Sandwich
Banh Mi - Vietnamese Sandwiches
Lamb Burger with Goat Cheese and Onion Jam
Sourdough Picnic Meatloaf
Simple BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich or Sliders
Tandoori Turkey Burger
 

Lime & Chili Pepper Chicken Tacos

I'm always taking things out of the freezer and thawing them without having any idea of what to do with them...  sometimes it gets me into trouble.
But then again,  sometimes it makes me come up with a new and creative way to use a basic like chicken thighs. Here's one of them

I buy the big bag at Costco of the boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I didn't like dark meat chicken when I was younger, but I do really think that it is so yummy and versatile in so many dishes now.  And certainly cheaper too.  Some of my favorite recipes using chicken thighs are  Sticky Coconut Chicken and Chicken, Bacon and Prunes.. 

But I was craving Mexican food... which is actually something I do a lot. 
It was Cinco de Mayo last week and all's we had was delivered pizza on the big day since I am certainly NOT going out for Mexican on Cinco de Mayo.  It's like going out for brunch on Mother's Day. I hate eating in crowded restaurants... don't you? 

This recipe has what I like; flavors that stand out and get noticed.  The lime, chili power, garlic and salt add a great flavor to the chicken. I like flavors that I can notice, not some silly subtle flavor, especially in Mexican food! Adding a bit of sugar helps to carmalize the chicken thighs and don't add sweetness.  
 
Serves 4-6
Ingredients

8-10 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
3 limes, juiced
1-2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tsp dried garlic granules
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil

Add the chicken thighs to a large ziploc bag.  Add all the marinade ingredients and mix well.  Allow to marinate for 6 or more hours. Overnight would work too.

Barbecue the chicken on medium hot grill for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through.   You want the chicken cooked through, but still juicy and moist. 

 Let chicken sit for 5-10 minutes, then slice the chicken into thin pieces.  


Serve with warm tortillas (either corn or flour will do), chipotle sour cream and some Spicy Coleslaw.  Serve with some salsa, you might even want to try my Hot, hot green salsa if you like it spicy!

Here's some other of my favorite Mexican dishes:
Cilantro Chicken
Lazy Girl Salsa Chicken- Crockpot
Three Citrus Tequila Grilled Chicken