Recipe: Easy chicken jambalaya

We've been eating a lot of sandwiches and salads in the last few weeks. The heat is a good excuse. But we're all getting tired of sandwiches. And I have a freezer and pantry full of food that I'd love to use.

So I took a look at what I had and, instead of searching online for a new recipe as I usually do, I turned to my shelf of dusty cookbooks and found a gem in an old copy of the "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book."

This day, I wanted to use up some frozen rotisserie chicken and broth that I had in the freezer, at least one can of tomatoes from the pantry and some green peppers and celery that I had in the refrigerator. The recipe is really easy. I prepped the veggies in the morning while the kids had breakfast and then measured out all the other ingredients when they were having an afternoon snack. When it was time to make dinner, all I had to do was throw everything in the pot.

I'm sure jambalaya connoisseurs will tell you this isn't close to the real thing. But hey ... my kids ate it.

2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey

In a skillet, cook the celery, onion and green peppers in some oil or butter until tender. Stir in undrained tomatoes, chicken broth, rice, basil or thyme, garlic salt, pepper, hot sauce and bay leaf. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in chicken and heat through. Take out the bay leaf and serve.