As you know, the oldest came home for the weekend, and it is always great having him home. One of the benefits of his visit is the food. The wife likes to make his favorite foods when he is home, and by extension, I benefit from her cooking for him. It is not a bad deal; she is quite talented. One of her go-to recipes is Poorman’s Jambalaya. We actually got this recipe from our neighbor when we lived in Nashville. He was an actual rocket scientist who worked on the Apollo program and grew up in Louisiana. I’m not sure we could have had better neighbors. Anyway, since the Cheesy Potato Soup recipe was my most-read article in a long time, here you go (the recipe actually came off the back of a packet of andouille sausage):
Note – We usually do a double batch so we have leftovers, but this is the original recipe.
Poorman’s Jambalaya
Season Mix:
- 4 small whole bay leaves
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (we typically do not add this because of the kids)
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
Main Recipe:
- 4 T. margarine (we substitute salted sweetcream butter)
- 1 1/2 c. boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
- 2 heaping c. THOMAS ‘RAGIN’ CAJUN’ ANDOULLE, cut into chunks (we can get that here, so we use what we can)
- 1 1/2 c. diced onions
- 1 1/2 c. chopped celery
- 1 c. bell pepper, chopped
- 1 c. UNCLE BEN’S CONVERTED RICE, uncooked
- 4 c. chicken broth (canned or bouillon cubes)
Thoroughly combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. In a large skillet (cast iron if you have one), melt butter over medium-high heat, add chicken breast chunks and Andouille, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (We use a large stock pot here because we double the batch.) Add onions, celery, bell pepper, and seasoning mix. Stir well and cook until browned (about 10-12 minutes), stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan. Stir in rice and cook about 2 minutes, stirring well. Add the stock, stirring well. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed (about 20 minutes), remove bay leaves, and serve. Notes: You may use shrimp or ham instead of chicken. Yield: 6-8 servings. Again, we highly recommend doubling the batch for leftovers!
As a reminder, Lunch Box Quotes are notes I include in the kids’ lunches every day. Number 1 gets a text, but 2-4 get a handwritten napkin.
Visual credits to: Featured image – @ACC_National Quotes: @HistoryWJacob @OldHollowTree @arealmofwonder @MrCasey62
Quotes:
1. “The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom.” – John Locke
2. “We Americans have inherited the greatest heritage in the history of the world in the form of our natural lands; we need to steward them for future generations with overwhelming zeal.” – Old Hollow Tree
3. “… and if our soul has trembled with happiness and sounded like a harp string just once, all eternity was needed to produce this one event – and in this single moment of affirmation all eternity was called good, redeemed, justified, and affirmed.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
4. “A little science distances one from God, but much science brings one nearer to Him.” – Louis Pasteur
Sources:
“The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom.”
John Locke https://t.co/lkwAWMGwx3 pic.twitter.com/Q2beJSfff2
— History With Jacob (@HistoryWJacob) January 25, 2026
We Americans have inherited the greatest heritage in the history of the world in the form of our natural lands; we need to steward them for future generations with overwhelming zeal. pic.twitter.com/EJRyPEaDED
— Old Hollow Tree (@OldHollowTree) January 24, 2026
“… and if our soul has trembled with happiness and sounded like a harp string just once, all eternity was needed to produce this one event – and in this single moment of affirmation all eternity was called good, redeemed, justified, and affirmed.”
~ Friedrich Nietzsche pic.twitter.com/Lreh5n217j— Cian McCarthy (@arealmofwonder) January 21, 2026
A college student boarded a train and sat facing an elderly man praying the Rosary. The young man chided him for his ‘superstition’ and told him that science had rendered the beliefs of religion irrelevant. “How did you come to discover that?” the old gentleman asked… (1/2) pic.twitter.com/PDjmIsJJX4
— MrCasey (@MrCasey62) January 24, 2026
You’ve inherited the greatest land on earth.
Protect it. pic.twitter.com/c8VKsJEiwN
— American Conservation Coalition (@ACC_National) December 5, 2025