Happy Friday Reader!

I don't know if I have it in me to wait for that crazy groundhog to be satisfied with the amount of winter we have left.

A week of sub-zero temps and a stuffy head and I'm over it. lol

I've been craving warm, comforting and really flavorful food. And maybe even something with a spicy kick to get me breathing easy again.

I made a pot of my Midwest Jambalaya this week, and it was so good!

They would laugh at it in Louisiana because it's far from traditional. But it uses ingredients we always have on hand, and I was able to give it just enough kick for me without offending David's sensibilities with too much "heat".

It will make it to the blog after I'm feeling better, but it was so "just what I needed" that I decided to go ahead and share it with you guys today.

Midwest Jambalaya

This is a delicious one-pot meal that's actually done in about 30 minutes. I would consider it mildly, pleasantly spicy. David thought it was "plenty spicy," and traditionalists would probably laugh at the lack of heat.

In Louisiana, they would definitely have added cayenne and some minced hot peppers like jalapeno or serrano chilies. You can do that if you want that extra kick.

They would also add shrimp, but in land-locked Nebraska, the two of us have never acquired the taste for it, so I don't put it in. You do you and add shrimp if it's something you love.

This easy recipe also uses andouille sausage, which is spicy. The diced tomatoes with green chilies also add some spicy kick along with my homemade Cajun seasoning. If you want to cut the heat, use your favorite mild sausage and plain diced tomatoes instead.

• 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 lb. Cajun andouille sausage (I buy the Aidell's brand at Walmart.), cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup red onion, minced
• 2 stalks celery, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, minced (Green bell pepper is traditional. Use what you have.)
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 can tomatoes with green chilies (Like Rotel, but I use store brand. The brand I used was 14.5 oz., but I've seen 10 oz. cans and I think you'd want to use 1 1/2 of those.)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups INSTANT/Quick Cook Brown Rice (I use the Great Value brand. It's cheap and delicious.)
• 1 Tablespoon homemade Cajun seasoning (or sub your favorite Cajun or Creole seasoning)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1. Add your diced chicken to a pot or Dutch oven with some hot oil in the bottom. Cook and stir over medium heat until the chicken is cooked.
2. Add the bite-size pieces of sausage and brown those for another minute. Your meat will have left a bit of fond (browning) stuck to the bottom of the pan. You've done everything right. It's just what you want. That will come up and add flavor as you add other ingredients.
3. Pour the minced onion, celery, garlic and peppers into the pot and allow them to begin cooking. They will release liquid that will start lifting that fond from the bottom of the pan. Cook and stir for one minute.
4. Add the diced tomatoes and the chicken broth. Stir everything together and be sure you scrape the bottom of the pot so everything that might have been stuck is released and adding flavor to your meal.
5. Bring it to a boil and then add in the rice, Cajun seasoning, bay leaf and thyme. Stir to combine.
6. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover the pot with at tight-fitting lid for ten minutes, until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid.
7. Serve and enjoy! A salad and homemade bread or biscuits are perfect to round out this tasty meal.

More Easy "Warm You Up" Recipes for the Coldest Days of Winter

• ​Slow Cooker Charro Beans Recipe (Pinto Beans)​
• ​Best Meatball Stew Recipe | Hearty, Delicious Comfort Food​
• ​Jalapeno Popper Dip Recipe​
• ​Best Easy Chili Recipe, Quick and Easy 30 Minute Meal​
• ​Cauliflower Gratin (Cheesy Cauliflower)​

• ​Easy Creamy Chicken and Noodles Recipe​
• ​Chicken Pot Pie Soup Recipe, a Big Bowl of Comfort​
• ​Hamburger Potato Casserole – Easy, Delicious One Pot Meal​
• ​Colcannon Soup | Simple, Rustic & Delicious​
• ​Meatballs in Brown Gravy | Delish!​
• ​Yellow Chicken Curry with Potatoes and Peas​

• ​Chicken and Rice Casserole, Creamy One-Pan Easy Recipe​
• ​Ham and Beans Recipe​
• ​Slow Cooker Beef Stew​
• ​Easy Hamburger Stroganoff, 3-Ingredient Simple​
• ​Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe​

• ​Easy Slow Cooker Beef Cube Steak​
• ​Best Easy Crock Pot Potato Soup​
• ​Easy Baked Spaghetti, Delicious Family Meal​
• ​Easy Creamy Chicken Tortellini with Broccoli, One-Pan Easy Recipe​
• ​Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (Just because they're easy and delicious and I want the best for you!)

Stay warm! Snuggle in with your favorite people and enjoy some warm, comforting dishes.

Have a wonderfully blessed week. Spring has to be just around the corner. Right?!

I hope you get to share a meal with the people you love most (and that someone else does the dishes!) Hugs friend!

What's For Dinner?

This is the part of the newsletter where I share recipe ideas from some of my best blogging friends and myself to inspire you with what's for dinner at our houses this week. That gives you seven days worth of new recipes to inspire you for your own delicious meal plan. Enjoy!

• ​Beer Cheese Soup from Laura at Little House Big Alaska
• ​Roasted Half Chicken from Gen at Two Cloves Kitchen
• ​Easy Three-Ingredient Crock Pot Ham from Glenda​
• ​Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters from Rupali at Caramel and Spice
• ​Baked Pineapple Salmon from Sue at Sula and Spice
• ​Easy Weeknight Chicken Spaghetti from Lori at A Reinvented Mom
• ​Chicken Potato Bake from Kristin at Dizzy Busy and Hungry

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