Instant Pot Jambalaya

Instructions

In New Orleans, many of our recipes are cooked slow and on low, but if you can get all the flavor in less time, why wait? An Instant Pot® will save you time and so will using Blue Runner® Creole Jambalaya Base.

Some people believe that jambalaya was invented by Spanish settlers in New Orleans who, trying to make paella, substituted tomatoes for hard-to-get-your-hands-on saffron. Others say it evolved over time, taking a little of this and a little of that from Spanish, French, African and Native American cooks. And still others insist their mama invented it. We don’t care where it came from. All we know is good and it’s not going anywhere. Serves 6.

Select “sauté” on your programmable pressure multicooker. Then choose the “high” temperature setting and preheat for 5 to 8 minutes. Add oil and stir in smoked sausage. Stir often, for about five minutes until the sausage is browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Turn heat down to medium after sausage is pulled, so that the pot cools a little while the chicken cooks

Add chicken to cooker, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning. Cook, stirring often for about five minutes until browned. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add onion, celery, green bell pepper and red bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Add garlic, and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Note: When you add the veggies, be sure to deglaze the pot so that any food bits are scraped up—if anything’s still stuck, it could trigger the “burned food” message on the instant pot

Add broth, diced tomatoes, rice, bay leaves, thyme, sausage, chicken, and remaining 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning. Stir well to combine ingredients.

Press “cancel” on multicooker. Cover with lid and lock in place. Turn steam release handle to sealing position. Select “manual/pressure cook” setting. Select “high” pressure for 7 minutes. (Note: It will take 10 to 15 minutes to come up to pressure before cooking begins.)

In the meantime, toss your shrimp, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper together in a medium bowl and set aside.

After cooking has stopped, carefully turn steam release handle to venting position, and let the steam fully escape. (This will take 3 to 4 minutes.) Then remove the cooker lid and stir in your shrimp. Return the lid to the cooker and let stand until shrimp are pink and cooked all the way through (about 8 to 10 minutes). Next, stir in parsley and garnish with green onions.