A delicious jambalaya filling of chicken, ham, and andouille sausage flavors tasty bell peppers to create a healthy and satisfying dish.
Jambalaya-Stuffed Bell Peppers
Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- ¾ pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¾ pound tasso ham, chopped
- ¾ pound andouille sausage, chopped
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- ¾ cup chopped green bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ cups long-grain rice
- 2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 8 medium assorted bell peppers
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove chicken using a slotted spoon, and place in a large bowl.
- Add ham and sausage to pot; cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove ham mixture using a slotted spoon, and transfer to bowl with chicken, reserving drippings in pot.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, chopped bell pepper, celery, and garlic to pot; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in broth, tomatoes, and bay leaf. Return chicken mixture to pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until rice is tender, 20 to 28 minutes, scraping browned bits from bottom of pot with a wooden spoon near end of cooking time.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Cut top ½ inch off stem end of each bell pepper. Reserve tops; discard seeds and membranes. Place peppers in a 3-quart baking dish.
- Discard bay leaf from rice mixture; add thyme. Season with salt and black pepper. Spoon rice mixture into bell peppers, mounding high. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil; cover with reserved tops. Pour ½ cup water in bottom of dish. Cover with foil.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake until bell peppers are tender and filling is heated through, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
If rice is more al dente than desired, add ¼ to ½ cup more broth or water at a time to pot; cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes.