Primal Jambalaya Stew (in the Slow Cooker)

I LOVE using my slow cooker.  I'm trying to challenge myself to use it once a week.  On busy days with my two girls, I feel so relaxed just tossing in a bunch of food and letting it sit for 6-8 hours.  Then magically it's done and ready to eat.  I didn't have to stir it, pay attention to it or best of all, worry about it. 

After going Paleo/Primal in May, I abandoned  many of the recipes from my Louisiana Cajun heritage.  Most of them contain gluten.  However, I've found a few new ways to still enjoy my favorite flavors.  This is a new version of Jambalaya that my family now likes - a jambalaya stew from the slow cooker.  I call it a stew because it's not dry with just rice and it's not as liquid-y as a soup.  It's somewhere perfect in between.  I serve it over cauliflower rice to keep it in line with our primal diet. 




Primal Jambalaya Stew in the Slow Cooker
Serves 6 to 8

1 cup of chicken broth or chicken stock, all natural and no MSG (whatever you have on hand)
1 onion, chopped
3 bell peppers, any color will do (I like to use red, yellow and orange to make it pretty :-)
3 to 4 cups of chopped, cooked chicken (I love using leftover grilled chicken from our outdoor grill)
5 links (1 - 12 oz package) of Andouille Cajun Sausage (or use other sausage of your choice) - chopped
1 - 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, with juice
1 Tbsp of minced garlic (or use about 3 garlic cloves)
2 tsp of dried bay leaves
1 Tbsp of Cajun seasoning or you can make your own (Use more if you like but I don't make mine too spicy since I have kids to feed!)
1 Tbsp of Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

Place all the ingredients in your slow cooker.  If possible, put them in the order of the list above, starting with the broth and onion and then finishing with the seasonings.  Cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours.  Or cook on high for 4 to 6 hours.  Or do a combination of both high and low heat, whatever your schedule allows.

Taste and see if any additional seasonings are needed.  Serve over my easy Primal Rice.  You've got a great meal here.  Even my picky daughter, almost five years old, ate this all. 

Enjoy!