Quick From Scratch Jambalaya

Ingredients

14 oz Polska kielbasa sliced length-wise and then into 1/4" slices

12 oz frozen, precooked large shrimp peeled and deveined

2 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on

1 onion peeled and trimmed

1 rib celery

1 sweet bell pepper cored

6 cloves garlic peeled and trimmed

2 tsp olive oil

1.5 cups long grain white rice

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp dried thyme

1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes drained, reserve 1/4 cup liquid

1 cup bottled clam juice

1.5 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

2 tsp dried parsley

Preparation

Place the onion, celery, pepper and garlic into a food processor and pulse a few times. If you don't have a food processor, you can finely dice the veggies.

In a large stock pot or dutch oven with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin down, and brown for about five minutes. Flip them over and repeat on the other side for three minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and add the sliced kielbasa to the dutch oven. Brown, stirring occasionally, for about three minutes. Remove the kielbasa to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the veggies. Cook and stir for one minute. Add the rice, salt, and thyme, stir to combine. Add the tomatoes with the reserved liquid, clam juice, chicken broth, bay leaves, and kielbasa to the pot and stir. Take the skin off the chicken and and place the chicken skin side down on top of the rice. Bring everything to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir again, making sure chicken stays on top and skin side down, and simmer another 10 minutes. Remove the chicken and temp test to 165°F. Use two forks to removed the meat from the bone and shred. Add the chicken back to the pot along with the shrimp and dried parsley. Stir to combine, remove the bay leaves and enjoy!