Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya

                                          A key ingredient in this hearty Cajun-inspired dish is a highly seasoned Louisiana specialty meat called tasso. If tasso isn’t available, substitute spicy Cajun andouille sausage or a fully cooked spicy beef or pork sausage.

6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, divided 
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
3 tablespoons canola oil
8 oz. tasso, smoked andouille or other fully cooked spicy sausage, finely chopped
4 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
2 cups basmati rice
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
12 oz. shelled, deveined uncooked large shrimp (21 to 30 count) 1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Heat large ovenproof pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Add oil; heat until hot. Cook chicken 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once. Remove chicken. Discard half the drippings from pot. 

2. Cook sausage in drippings over medium heat 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add onions, bell pepper, celery, garlic, thyme and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft. 

3. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Bring broth to a boil in medium saucepan. 

4. Stir rice into sausage mixture; cook and stir over medium heat 3 minutes or until rice is coated with oil. Stir in hot broth. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. 

5. Bake, covered, 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove from oven; stir in tomatoes. Tuck shrimp into rice; spoon peas over top. Bake, covered, an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and rice is tender.

6 servings

PER SERVING: 690 calories, 28.5 g total fat (7 g saturated fat), 40.5 g protein, 67.5 g carbohydrate, 170 mg cholesterol, 1190 mg sodium, 5.5 g fiber