Simply Cookin' Chef Mitzi Stinson teaches you how to make festive Seafood Jambalaya for Fat Tuesday.

This warm dish is perfect to serve a gathering of friends or to bring family together around the table.

Try adding a variety of pre-cooked meats and seafoods for a different type of jambalaya each time you make it.

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Recipe courtesy Bon Appetit

2T (1/4 stick) butter

2 large yellow onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 - 28 oz. cans Italian plum tomatoes, drained (1/2 cup liquid reserved)

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crumbled

1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes, crushed

1 bay leaf

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups uncooked rice

1 lb. cooked large shrimp, frozen

1 lb. sea scallops, frozen

Melt butter in Dutch oven over low heat.

Add onions and garlic and stir until translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes with reserved liquid, broth, bell pepper, thyme, pepper flakes, bay leaf, salt and pepper.

Bring to boil.

Stir in rice.

Cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes.

Add thawed scallops to rice mixture.

Continue cooking until scallops are just opaque, about 2 minutes.

Add pre-cooked thawed shrimp to rice and scallop mixture. Stir just until the shrimp is warm.

Remove from heat and discard bay leaf.

Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve immediately.