Creole Jambalaya

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, diced (with tops)
• 1/4 cup bacon drippings or 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 2 teaspoons minced parsley
• 1/2 lb ham, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 large bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or other hot bottled sauce)
• 1 (14 ounce) can tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups uncooked rice
• 1 1/2 lbs fresh raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1/2 lb smoked beef sausage
• Chicken Jambalaya
• 3 lbs chicken, cut up
• 1/2 lb Polish sausage, sliced

1. Cook onions, garlic, green pepper and celery in the bacon drippings or cooking oil until onion is browned.
2. Add parsley, ham, thyme, and bay leaves; cook 5 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add salt, hot sauce, tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, and 2 cups of water; simmer 5 minutes.
4. Add rice; reduce heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.
5. Add shrimp and smoked sausage; cover and simmer 10 or 15 minutes longer or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
6. Season to taste with salt and more hot sauce.
7. -------Chicken Jambalaya--------.
8. Add chicken and polish sausage.
9. When the onion-celery mix is done, finish as directed, omitting ham and shrimp.

yellow onion, garlic, green pepper, celery, bacon, parsley, ham, thyme, bay leaves, salt, tabasco sauce, tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, rice, shrimp, beef sausage, chicken, chicken, sausage

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/creole-jambalaya-15111 (may not work)