Hella Spicy Jambalaya!

Lars was really into the idea of an Oscar's themed dinner last Sunday, and after perusing the lineup and deciding that just drinking hooch sounded kinda sh*tty, we settled on a creole favorite: Jambalaya. This was of course in honor of best picture nominee Beasts of the Southern Wild (which I still haven't seen because I suck at life). It's also been cold as eff, so the warm comfort of jambalaya sounded nice. This stuff was sooo slammin', and lucky for you I'm offering up the recipe right now. Lars is none too pleased about that. This goes awesome with a stout beer!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb Chicken Thighs (boned and skinned)
1 lb Hot Link Sausages
1 28 oz can of Diced Tomatoes with Juice
2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
3 Cups of Water 1 Large Yellow Onion
1 Large Green Bell Pepper
3 Stalks of Celery
4 Cloves of Fresh Garlic
1 Tbsp Butter or Olive Oil
1 Tsp Italian Seasoning Mix (Thyme, Oregano, Basil)
1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley Chopped
1 Tablespoon Red Chili Flakes
1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper
1 Tablespoon Louisiana Hot Sauce

1 Cup Parboiled White/Brown Rice
2 Cups of Water
Freshly Chopped Parsley (for finishing garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Bone, skin and cut the chicken thighs into bite sized pieces. Add to hot skillet with butter or olive oil. Brown the meat 5 minutes or so - it doesn't not need to be cooked all the way through because it will finish in the slow cooker. Chop the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Add to slow cooker pot (removed from heat). Chop sausages into bite sized pieces and add to pot as well. Empty the chicken thighs and juices into slow cooker pot. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, and give it a good stir with your favorite (or only) wooden spoon. Simmer in the slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours. Veggies should still have a little bite to them and chicken/sausage should be cooked all the way through after this amount of time. When there is about a half hour left to cook, add rice and water to separate saucepan and cook according to package instructions. White rice will take around 25 minutes, while brown rice will be closer to 50 minutes. When you're ready to eat, spoon Jambalaya over rice and garnish with freshly chopped parsley. You may choose to add extra hot sauce or cayenne depending on your heat preference. Now who's the man? I'M THE MAN.