Colts Tailgate Recipe: Big Daddy's Jambalaya

Recently the Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Marketing Council in partnership with the Indianapolis Colts hosted the Colts Best Recipe of the Year Contest. This recipe was the runner-up in the contest! A cookbook was created featuring the finalists recipes including this Jambalaya. You can download your copy at Colts.com/BestRecipe.

Big Daddy's Jambalaya

submitted by Gene Cottingham.

* INGREDIENTS*

2 medium green bell peppers, seeded and diced

1 yellow onion, diced

4 celery ribs, diced

3 Tbs vegetable oil

Kosher salt, divided

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 beer can, stout or porter

4 medium garlic cloves, minced

3 cans tomato paste

1 28 oz can peeled whole tomatoes

3 Tbs Old Bay or Creole seasoning

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

3 bay leaves

2 quarts of chicken broth, low sodium

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, coarsely chopped

1 lb cajun or creole sausage, sliced into 1/2" rounds

1 lb of firm, mixed seafood

2 cups long grain rice, cooked

French baguette or similar

Tabasco to taste

6 scallions, white and light green parts only, sliced

* DIRECTIONS*

1. Add vegetable oil to a heavy skillet and heat over medium. Add the vegetables, season with a pinch or two of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften and onions are translucent, approximately 10-15 mins. Set vegetables aside.

2. In a large stock pot, melt butter over low medium heat. Add the flour.

3. Continue stirring with a medium whisk until roux is the color of chocolate, 10-15 minutes.

4. Add in the cooked vegetables and garlic, tomato paste, cajun seasoning, salt, cayenne, paprika, fresh ground black pepper and stir into roux.

5. Stir in the broth, tomatoes and beer. Allow to thicken.

6. Add chicken, sausage, ½ tsp salt and bay leaves, bringing to a simmer. Cover and simmer until chicken is tender, about 20 minutes.

7. Add seafood about 15 minutes before serving.

8. Season with hot sauce and garnish with onions to your desire.

9. Serve with rice and sliced baguette.

Nutrition facts:*415 calories, 23 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 26 g protein, 24 g carbohydrate, 4.5 g fiber, 125 mg cholesterol, 1650 mg sodium

Excellent source of protein, potassium, phosphorus, vitamins A, C, K, B12, B6, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin.

Good source offiber, iron, calcium, folate, magnesium, zinc.

Nutrition facts based on 12 servings per recipe, with one can beer and without rice or baguette

Protein pointers: higher fat andouille sausage is balanced with the extremely low-fat seafood. Plus, contrary to prevailing myth, chicken thighs are not "very" high fat and calorie. They're only slightly higher, but the flavor is richer. Overall, chicken thighs are both budget-friendly and nutrient-rich! Together, the sausage, chicken and seafood provide near half of your daily protein needs.

Serve with brown rice for whole-grain goodness and nutrients.

FOOD SAFETY TAILGATING TIP:
Once cooked, hot foods should never stay out at room temperature longer than two hours, or foodborne bacteria will multiply.

HERE ARE SOME OTHER GREAT TAILGATING RECIPES

White Chicken Chili from The Farmwife Cooks.

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Easy Sausage Chili from The Farmwife Feeds.

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Slow Cooker Beef Stew from The Farmwife Crafts.

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