Big Bayou Jambalaya (Crock Pot)

What a wonderful surprise this turned out to be!  I was looking for a crock pot recipe to use up some stuff in the freezer and decided to use this one.  And what a great dinner it was.  Personally, I think it was the dijon that added a whole new dimension to this dish.  Whatever it was, this comes together very nicely.  Simply prepare some rice and have a nice crusty bread on hand for a delicious dinner.

BIG BAYOU JAMBALAYA (5 servings)

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" chunks

1/4 pound kielbasa or Polish sausage, sliced (I used turkey sausage)

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped

3 tsp minced garlic

14 oz crushed tomatoes

2 cups chicken broth 

1/4 cup dijon mustard

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

cayenne pepper, to taste

1/2 pound cooked and peeled frozen shrimp (to add later)

Use a 4 quart slow cooker.  Although there are a lot of ingredients listed, there really aren't any rules to this recipe.  Dump everything except the shrimp into your slow cooker, starting with the meat.  Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours (high about 3-4 hours).  This soup will taste best when cooked low and slow.  Make sure the onions are fully cooked and translucent, then stir in the frozen shrimp 30 minutes before serving.  Replace the lid and flip to high.  When the shrimp are warmed through, ladle into bowls.