Easy Instant Pot Jambalaya

I originally used the recipe from Life with Dee  as my inspiration. However, I like to meal prep... and by meal prep I mean chop and mix and freeze as many things as possible ahead of time, so I can just throw things in make it happen quickly when I have to cook during the week. So, I have made some small changes to the preparation process, which made small changes to the putting it all together part at the end. (If you're wanting to make it all at the same time without the meal prep, you can click on the link above to see how she did it!) Here's how I did it:

INGREDIENTS

1 onion - diced
1 bell pepper - diced
3 stalks of celery - diced
3 garlic cloves - minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 ounce package of Andouille sausage (may substitute smoked sausage for less spicy version)
2 cups chopped tomatoes - undrained
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup long grain white rice
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce

PREP

Freezer bag #1: diced veggies: 

• onion
• pepper
• celery
• garlic

Freezer Bag #2: protein

• cut up sausage (I also added a small bag of frozen shrimp - I just love shrimp in jambalaya

Freezer Bag 3: sauce + seasoning

• chopped tomatoes
• chicken broth
• spices
• soy sauce
• worchestershire sauce

In the pantry:

• rice (I used Uncle Ben's whole grain brown rice)
• olive oil (with the option of butter)

INSTRUCTIONS

As you're getting ready to make your meal, keep this in mind: Thaw your frozen bags. I have put some frozen items in my instant pot... but it doesn't usually work quite as well - I have not quite figured out the timing on frozen items yet. I usually pull the items I'm planning to cook out of the freezer and into the refrigerator 1-2 days before actually cooking the food.

Also, I occasionally have a hard time remembering which parts I've taken care of, and what I need to do on the day of cooking... so I've started writing some directions on one of the bags, so when it comes to putting everything together, I don't even have to look back at the recipe... Just a quick hint to try if you have a similar struggle to me in the wonderful world of meal prepping.

1. Turn on Instant Pot to sauté setting, add butter and oil. (I used 2 T of oil, no butter)
2. When hot, add sliced sausage (I waited a few minutes, then added the shrimp as well).
3. Cook 2-3 minutes or until slightly browned.
4. Add the bag of veggies (cook about 3-5 min).
5. Add the bag of sauce and the rice. 
6. Stir well.
7. Put the lid on (make sure it's set to sealing). Set to Manual for 8 minutes.
8. Release the steam, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes. 

My results and thoughts... My first time around was mostly successful. I ended up with Jambalaya that tasted GREAT (I could've enjoyed a little more spice...), but was a bit... soupy. So I have decided to put 1.5 - 2 cups of rice in next time (I'll probably start with 1.5 just to make sure I don't totally overdo it!). For today, I made a little extra quick brown rice to add in to soak up some of the liquid. I will update this recipe once I've tried it again with the extra rice!

Fish and Asparagus over Jasmine Rice

This is a new favorite of mine - simple and oh-so-tasty!

You can make your rice whichever way you like it best. My new favorite is Jasmine rice in my Instant Pot!

1. Measure dry rice, set aside. (about 1 “cup” minimum recommended, any “cup” you choose) - I usually do 2-3 cups at a time.
2. Measure same amount of water, add to Instant Pot’s inner pot/liner.
3. Rinse rice, add wet rice to the measured water in the inner pot.
4. Lock on the lid, and set the steam release valve to “sealing” position. 
5. Use the "Manual" setting - Select your pressure cooking time - for Jasmine rice, about 4-5 minutes should do it.
6. Let the rice rest for about 10 minutes after cooking is finished before releasing any remaining pressure, and serve.

For the fish and asparagus, cut and wash the asparagus.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Cover your pan with foil (I roast asparagus on a foil-covered pan in the oven most of the time). 
3. Sprinkle fish and asparagus with olive oil and sea salt and pepper.
4. Roast in preheated oven until fork easily punctures thickest part of stem, about 20 minutes. (I flip over the fish and move around the asparagus once, about halfway through cooking)

Once everything is finished cooking, lay the fish and asparagus on top of a bed of rice, and sprinkle with soy sauce (additional salt or pepper if you'd like).