Our Managing Editor, Sally Ince, serves up red bean jambalaya.

Living in Missouri with my family out of state has its challenges, but having my immediate family living in New Orleans feels like a stroke of pure luck. It means that at least once a year, no matter how busy life becomes, I get to pack a bag, hop on a plane, and step into a city with some of the best restaurants in the world.

New Orleans is more than a destination for me. It’s a sensory reset, a place where comfort has a flavor and where the simplest meals feel like celebrations. From the moment I arrive, I’m welcomed not just by my family but a quick trip to one of our favorite eateries for “just a snack.” No matter how many times I visit, there are two dishes I always gravitate toward: jambalaya and red beans and rice. Both are humble. Both are hearty. Both carry the soul of Louisiana in every bite. And both, without fail, feel like home.

Jambalaya is a beautiful chaos of ingredients — sausage, chicken, vegetables, rice — all cooked together until every grain tastes smoky, savory, and spicy. Red beans and rice, on the other hand, is a slow comfort: creamy beans, gentle spice, and a warmth that settles in your chest long after the meal is done. I could eat this dish every day, but especially on Mondays when most restaurants have it on their specialty menu. Red beans and rice is historically referred to as a “wash day meal.” Mondays were typically wash day in the early 19th century, before modern appliances, and the dish offered a solution for a long, unattended cooking process.

But life doesn’t always allow me to hop down to New Orleans whenever the craving hits. Between visits, I turn to a dish that reminds me of both of my favorites: red bean jambalaya. It’s a hearty, winter-perfect dish that combines the boldness of jambalaya with the creamy, satisfying essence of red beans and rice. It fills the house with the kind of aroma that makes you feel warmer before you even take the first bite.

One of the best things about red bean jambalaya is how flexible it is. It thrives on creativity and convenience, which is exactly what makes it a true weeknight hero. Got leftover rotisserie chicken? In it goes. A bag of frozen shrimp you forgot was in the freezer? Perfect. Mixed veggies on their last leg? Toss them in. Even steak works if you’re feeling bold. The key is simply to use what you have and let the flavors build on each other.

There’s just one rule I never break: I always, always include the andouille sausage and rice. Those are the anchors — the steady heartbeat of the dish. Andouille brings the spice, the smoke, and the unmistakable Louisiana character. Rice ties everything together, absorbing every flavor, especially the cajun seasoning, like a sponge. Without those two, it’s a delicious stew. With them, it’s New Orleans in a bowl.
This dish reminds me that food is more than nourishment, and it brings me back to my favorite Creole spots, music humming in the background and everyone talking at once in the dining room the way families do when they don’t see each other enough.

Sally’s Red Bean Jambalaya

Prep Time: 15 min.
Cook Time: 45 min.
Total Time: 1 hr.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 pound chicken thighs, diced or shredded into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-ounce can Rotel tomatoes, undrained
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon hot sauce
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups long grain white rice
1 pound uncooked shrimp
2 15-ounce cans red beans, drained and rinsed
Green onions, chopped for garnishment

Instructions

1. Season the chicken with Cajun Seasoning and saute until nice and golden in color. Set thighs aside on a plate.
2. Add the sliced sausage to the pot and cook for roughly 5 minutes or until the sausage is lightly browned and crispy along the edges. Set sausage aside on a plate with the cooked chicken.
3. Saute the “holy trinity” (the combination of diced onion, celery, and bell peppers that represents the three parts of a single, essential flavor base in Cajun and Creole cuisine) until the vegetables soften. This could take about 8 to 10 minutes. Then, add the minced garlic and the remaining 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning. Stir for about one minute.
4. Add the red beans, tomato paste, can of Rotel tomatoes, herbs and spices, and chicken stock.
5. Add back the chicken and andouille sausage, bring the liquid to a boil, and then let the dish simmer for about 5 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to a low, slow boil, add the rice, and simmer for 20 minutes covered or until the liquid is absorbed into the rice.
7. If adding shrimp, save them until the end. Make sure they are well tucked into the rice mixture, cover the pot again, and turn the heat off. Let the pot sit for about 5 minutes, or until the shrimp have turned a pink color.
8. Garnish each bowl of red bean jambalaya with freshly sliced green onions.