I recently had the opportunity to take a cooking class from the Mardi Gras School of Cooking in New Orleans, where I was introduced to this recipe. It uses chicken, ham, bacon, and andouille sausage in addition to the rice and vegetables. The flavor is rich in seasoning, with a delightful smoky flavor and a little kick.

Cajun cuisine is associated with the Louisiana countryside with farm-to-table ingredients available to that area. Creole cuisine is more associated with New Orleans and French/Spanish influence, with access to imported foods like wheat for bread and shrimp from the coast. As such, this dish is more closely associated with Cajun cooking, but it uses the same seasoning as in the Creole Shrimp. Serve them both together for a Creole/Cajun meal.

If you want, you can probably make this with substitutes for the meats and add a few drops of liquid smoke and a little salt to re-balance the flavors, as the sausage, bacon, and ham will have cured with their own flavors. I’d recommend taste-testing it as-is during cooking before adding anything, then adjusting before you finish.

2 slices bacon, julienned
2 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
2 tbsp. Mardi Gras seasoning or other Cajun seasoning mix
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 c. ham, diced
1/2 c. andouille sausage, cut into 1/4″ cubes
1/2 c. onion, diced
1/4 c. bell pepper, diced
1/4 c. celery, diced
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 c. rice (uncooked)
2 c. chicken stock
3 tbsp. green onion, chopped

Season the chicken with the seasoning mix and set aside.

In a large pot, brown the bacon until crisp. Remove, but leave the rendered fat in the pot.

Add oil to the pot. Brown the chicken and remove.

Brown the ham and sausage, then keep in the pot.

Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery (the “trinity” of Cajun cooking). Cook until the veggies are wilted. Don’t scrape the bottom of the pan; leave the flavor bits for the deglazing process. Once wilted, add the garlic.

Mix in the uncooked rice and let it soak up the juices in the pan for a minute or so, then add the chicken stock and re-add the chicken and bacon; bring to a boil. Simmer covered for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff. Serve and garnish with green onions, maybe with hot sauce if you want to kick it up further.