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Jambalaya with Shrimp and Ham

by Tanya

jambalaya with ham and shrimp

Okay, now before I raise the ire of any purists, I know this isn’t 100% authentic since it doesn’t include chicken or andouille sausage, but it is still incredibly delicious. While I am potentially irking Jambalaya lovers already, I might as well confess that I’m not big fan of andouille sausage. I hope we can still be friends! 😀

This particular recipe caught my eye because I had some ham in my freezer that I needed to use. Closer to Easter, I’ll be sharing one of my very best recipes for the most tender ham you’ve ever had … but it makes a lot, so I’ve been on the lookout for some new recipes because I don’t want to waste a bit of that yummy ham.

You could certainly add chicken to the recipe, but it had plenty of meat for me with the shrimp and ham combo. It was super filling and reheated beautifully too. There was a little kick to it, but nothing that overwhelmed or brought me to tears. Or made me sweat uncontrollably.

Was that too much information? Sorry. 🙂

Forgive my over-sharing, but I cannot share enough how good this jambalaya was … even though it’s not authentic. Still yummy!

Print Recipe

Jambalaya with Shrimp and Ham

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 2-3 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
  • 6 ounces smoked ham diced
  • 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 14.5 ounces can no-salt added diced tomatoes, with juices
  • 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
  • 1 lb. medium shrimp peeled and deveined
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Hot pepper sauce

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.
  • Add in the paprika, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, cayenne pepper, tomato paste, ham, chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
  • Stir in rice, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Most of the liquid will be absorbed as well.
  • Add the shrimp and cover. Cook for another 5 minutes or until shrimp is fully cooked. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hot sauce on the side, if you like it extra hot!

Enjoy!

Tanya

P.S. This recipe is also HEALTHY! It comes from Ellie Krieger’s cookbook, The Food We Crave. Ellie is known for her delicious, low-fat recipes and this one definitely delivers. The serving size is 2 cups, 440 calories and under 10 grams of fat. Take that authentic jambalaya! This is comfort food that’s good for you!