Crock Pot Jambalaya

My sister Mel is hosting Crock-tober on her blog, so I decided to participate in my first blog 'link-up'!

This has been a big week for me domestically. I joined Pinterest, took my first cooking class (30 before 30), and used my crockpot for the first time (cause who really uses one in spring or summer?)!

Coincidentally, my cooking class made crock pot pulled pork the first week. However, I decided to go with a Pintererst recipe for jambalaya instead because Jason loves jambalaya. I am not really a fan, but I'm always hopeful that I'll like it...

The recipe was super easy (like all crock pot recipes). Here is what it calls for:

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound smoked turkey sausage, sliced (I used smoked chicken sausage)
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
3 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp cayenne pepper (I used about 1 1/2 tsp for an extra kick)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
*You can also add 1 cup of chopped green bell pepper and 1 cup of chopped celery for some crunch.
White rice or instant rice (I used about 1.5 cups of Jasmine rice)

Mix everything together in the crock pot, except for the rice. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Cook the rice on the stove according to directions about 30 minutes before eating.

Add the rice in for about 15-20 minutes to heat through.