Jambalaya

This New Orleans favorite recipe was give to me by a native of New Orleans and coworker, Greg Babin. Do not let the quantity of ingredients intimidate you. Once everything is in the pot it is very easy. This is a great dish for a crowd.

1 stick butter or margarine
1 large onion, chopped *
1 green pepper, chopped *
4 stalk of celery, chopped *
5 green onions, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 1/3 cups uncooked rice
dash Tabasco
1 pound smoked sausage, slice into bite size pieces
1 pound ham, slice into bite size pieces
2 cloves diced garlic
1 /12 pounds shelled shrimp
14 oz can whole tomatoes
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1 teaspoon dry basil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, slice into bite size pieces
dash salt
dash pepper

* To speed up the  process I sometimes used frozen mixtures of these vegetables w/ parsley.

Melt butter in a large pot.
Brown onion, celery, and green peppers.
Add meats, garlic, shrimp and tomatoes.
Simmer 5 minutes.
Add broth, bay leaf, thyme, basil, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce.
Bring to a boil.
Add rice.
Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 30 minutes.