Seriously. Chicken Helper. I know. Doesn’t it look awesome? Yeah, it was.

I make a mean jambalaya from scratch. But Tuesday night isn’t the night to make things from scratch, especially on Fat Cat Tuesday.

Tonight we added a new member to our family, our newly adopted fat cat Pippen, so naturally we needed some cajun goodness to celebrate! And Chicken Helper (Hamburger Helper’s little sister) is a great way to start. But, of course, I can never just let it go like that.

What did I add to give this a more authentic N’Awlins flavor?

• 1 lb Chicken (per the recipe)
• 1 Turkey Smoked Sausage
• 1/2 lb shrimp
• Penzey’s Hot Chili Seasoning
• Dash of Penzey’s Gumbo Filé Seasoning
• 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce (for some proper tomato fllavor; usually I add a can of diced tomatoes)
• 1/2 diced white onion
• 1 diced red bell pepper
• 1 diced poblano pepper

Add the shrimp at the very, very end to avoid overcooking it. Authentic flavor with a really quick prep. Not as good as my Jambalaya from scratch, but definitely a close second in a pinch!