Pandemic Comfort in a Pot

I posted pictures of this delicious Instant Pot Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya, and apparently, I wasn’t the only one needing some comfort food during a pandemic; my friends wanted to make it too!

I usually don’t follow recipes when I cook, because I love to invent or recreate foods from taste, but my Instant Pot is new to me and I’m learning to use it. I followed this recipe, but with these deviations: I added a can of diced chilis, used palm sugar, bourbon vanilla, and chili/lime seasoning instead of Cajun, and used red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. All of those ingredients are at Trader Joe’s. I also use Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base in lieu of chicken broth (not at TJ’s), and added a bit of gumbo file into the pot. I used only the chicken sausage, and skipped all that extra chicken the recipe calls for. I’m certain this recipe would do just fine in a slow cooker or rice cooker after you sautéed the vegetables, if you don’t have an Instant Pot. But, seriously, I’m in love with mine! I bought the Instant Pot Duo Plus 9 in 1 from Amazon. The lid on it took me a while to figure out, but I’m not very mechanically inclined.

My Instant Pot is massive, but I’m already envisioning using it to speed cook through Thanksgiving Dinner for a large group of people. It’s a miracle device really, and I’m looking forward to learning how to use all nine of its features. We have peach, plum, apple, and apricot trees here in my backyard in California, and when the fruit ripens, I’m looking forward to trying my hand at canning, something I watched my mother do in my youth without all the sophisticated gadgetry. This pandemic is bringing out the native Hoosier in me.

This jambalaya was great for that first try at using the sauté feature on my Instant Pot before pressure cooking all the ingredients together. So far, I’ve used only two of the nine features. It’s the gift to myself that keeps on giving.

I was hoping for some leftovers today, but my son and husband devoured the whole darn pot! Give the recipe a whirl; you won’t be disappointed! Happy eating! Let me know how it goes!