Sheet Pan Roasted Jambalaya

A couple of weeks ago, maybe even last month because I can’t honestly remember at the moment and I’m far too lazy to dig in and get the information, I posted a recipe for Mediterranean Roasted Chicken Thighs, do you remember? Aside from how amazing the flavors were in this particular dish, the greatest thing about it was the fact that it was super easy to whip up, which made it the perfect meal to make when you’re very tired and just don’t feel like spending hours in the kitchen slaving away. The entire dish, this one included, is cooked by tossing everything together onto a heavy duty baking sheet, throwing it into the oven and forgetting about it. I’m bringing this up because that post went over so well with many of you, and so I thought that I should definitely make another sheet pan dinner recipe for you guys. This one is inspired by my monthly trips to New Orleans to work with my friend Joy. 

The thing you have to keep in mind when going into this Sheet Pan Roasted Jambalaya recipe is that it’s inspired by the traditional Cajun dish, but not actually the same as the original. It’s a play on the dish. This one isn’t very sauce-y or soup-y at all. Instead it features all of the classic ingredients like onion, celery, bell pepper, andouille sausage, chicken, shrimp and rice, and it’s all roasted on a baking sheet like a fried rice of sorts. This is a great way to use up leftover rice you might have in the fridge from a couple nights ago. This is especially good for me because I never know what to do with my leftover rice from dinner. I finally found a great way to use it up. Help me Cheers to the Weekend by giving this sheet pan dinner a try! 

Let’s start by tossing together some chopped up veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper. We’re tossing together onions, garlic, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, jalapeños, celery and cherry tomatoes. Phew. That’s a lot of vegetable chopping, but they’re all necessary for that optimal authentic jambalaya flavor. 

**Note: I added 2 large jalapeños because I like things spicy and because I feel like things mellow out a bit once they roast in the oven. But feel free to add as many or as little as you’d like. You can even omit it altogether if you are completely against heat.**

Add in sliced andouille sausage and diced up boneless skinless chicken breast chunks that have been tossed around with Cajun seasoning blend. 

**Note: Andouille sausage is a cajun sausage that is used throughout cajun cooking. It’s in dishes like red beans and rice and of course jambalaya. Most grocery stores carry it now, so look out for it. If for some reason you can’t find it, then by all means opt out for any other smoked sausage.**

Bake sure everything is in an even layer. It’s important to use a heavy duty baking sheet for this dish because you don’t want one that’ll warp in the oven while it cooks. I like this one from online. If you don’t have a 1/2-sized baking sheet, feel free to divide everything between two normal sized baking sheets, or whatever you have on hand. Roast in a preheated 400 degree F oven until the veggies begin to soften and the chicken cooks through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with peeled and deveined large shrimp that have been tossed in cajun seasoning as well. Make sure to spread the shrimp out throughout the pan. 

Return the pan to the oven and cook until the shrimp turns pink and are cooked through, they’ll cook fast so I say about 5 to 8 minutes, since the oven is set so high. Remove from the oven once more and sprinkle with leftover cooked rice, and sprinkle with scallions. Then return to the oven (last time I promise) for about 5 minutes to heat up the rice. 

**Tip: You can also pop it under the broiler for a couple of minutes to brown the top and toast up the rice a little bit.**

Once done, sprinkle the top with fresh lemon juice and chopped up parsley. You can serve the jambalaya with fresh lime wedges on the side, in case people want a bit more fresh lemon juice squeezed on top. 

I like to serve this dish with a simple salad on the side, because a pile of greens with dinner or some sort of green vegetable situation always makes me feel better about my decisions in life. 

 You can totally make this dish ahead of time, right before adding the shrimp. Then rewarm in a 375 degrees F for about 10 minutes from the fridge, place the shrimp on top and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes until pink and fully cooked through. This will ensure that you can still make the dish ahead of time, but make sure the shrimp doesn’t over cook. 

If you make this recipe, along with any other recipe from the site, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram or Facebook and tag me and hashtag it with #CandidAppetite or #TheCandidAppetite. Once you start making these Cheers to the Weekend recipes, be sure to also tag it with #TCAweekend! I’ll be monitoring it all closely and share my favorites throughout! Happy Cooking!

Sheet Pan Roasted Jambalaya

This sheet pan dinner is an easy weeknight meal to make after work when you don't feel like cooking. Just throw everything on a sheet pan and cook. It features all of the flavors we love from a classic Jambalaya but in with a new twist.

Servings 6 to 7 servings

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Ingredients

• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 1/2 large green bell pepper diced
• 1/2 large yellow bell pepper diced
• 1/2 large red bell pepper diced
• 3 stalks celery diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 to 2 jalapeños seeded and diced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning blend
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into chunks
• 2 andouille sausage links sliced
• 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
• 1 cup cooked leftover rice or cooked fresh and cooled to room temperature
• 1 lemon sliced
• 2 scallions sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• On a large baking sheet, toss together the onion, bell peppers, celery, garlic, jalapeños, tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt pepper until evenly combined. Give the pan a shake to ensure that everything is on a single layer.
• In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken with 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning. Evenly distribute the chicken onto the baking sheet, among the vegetables, along with the andouille sausage. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are beginning to charr, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the remaining 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and distribute the shrimp on top in an even layer. Return to the oven and cook until the shrimp is no longer pink, about 5 to 8 minutes. It'll go by fast because the oven is so hot and shrimp takes no time at all. Remove from the oven once more and top evenly with the cooked rice. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes to warm the rice.
• Garnish with fresh lemon slices, scallions and parsley before serving. Enjoy!

Author: The Candid Appetite