Jambalaya is another of the mainstays of cajun cooking. True to its creole heritage, jambalaya was traditionally cooked at home as an inexpensive meal using whatever ingredients were most handy at the time. Like gumbo and other cajun dishes, the variations are so numerous, that many self-proclaimed experts contend that no two versions are alike. Having said that, by far, the most commonly served recipes call for chicken and sausage as the star ingredients. Seafood jambalaya tends to be more expensive to make and is harder to find on the menus of local restaurants.

Because it's so tasty, yet relatively inexpensive to prepare, jambalaya has evolved into one of the more common dishes to serve at large gatherings in south Louisiana. If you've ever been to an LSU football game at Tiger Stadium, you'll find that jambalaya is the "specialty of the house" at many of the tailgating parties (and there are a lot of tailgating parties); and invariably, some guy named T-Red or Boudreaux (dressed in bright purple with flashes of gold), from Thibodaux or some other small town in south Louisiana is busy cooking up a big black pot full of his favorite, time-tested jambalaya recipe to serve to his friends and pretty much any one else who stops by.

Most jambalaya recipes start by simmering varying amounts of onions, garlic, and sweet bell peppers. Red pepper and hot sauce are typically added to, as Emeril would say, "kick it up a notch". Throw in some secret spices (every cook has his or her favorites), add some chicken & sausage, cook with rice -- and your jambalaya is ready to go.

To get an idea of what we're talking about, take a look at the free jambalaya recipes listed in the Cajun Recipes section of our website. Of course, if you're like most of us and your time is short, try out one of the easy-to-prepare mixes shown above, and you'll be ready to serve delicious, mouth-watering jambalaya in just a few minutes.