I have officially reached the point in the year when I would rather do almost anything other than cook. (Who am I kidding? This is most assuredly not a once-a-year phenomenon.)

When this mood hits, I try not to give in to the urge to swing through the drive-through or order a pizza. Since morning Amelia is easier to corral and has more energy than evening Amelia, I know a slow-cooker recipe is more likely to yield actual dinners than any other type of new recipe.

Unfortunately, many slow-cooker recipes call for beans – which we have an allergy to in this house – or cream-of soups, which I generally don’t care for. There’s something about the way they slide out of the can fully formed that gives me the ick. So while I have a few recipes I return to again and again, it’s difficult for me to find new ones.

That’s how I went down the Reddit rabbit hole of slow-cooker recipes.

I don’t even know what Reddit is, if you want to know the truth. It seems to be a corner of the internet where people freely (and passionately) discuss skin rashes and odd health conditions, TV show recommendations and recipes. I assume that’s what it focuses on, anyway, because anytime I type a weird question into Google, the people of Reddit already have an entire conversation about it.

In this case, someone asked for slow-cooker recipe recommendations – meals “you’d be happy to pay $50 for in a restaurant.”

Look, y’all. I’m cheap. I’m not going to be happy paying $50 for anything. But I appreciate the sentiment. Some meals are good considering how easy they are to prepare, and many slow-cooker recipes fall into that category. Then there are meals that are so good they belie their ease of preparation. Those are the gold standard of the slow-cooker world.

A good pot roast fits that description, in my opinion. Red beans and sausage is another. And thanks to the people of Reddit, I now know jambalaya belongs on that list, too.

For years, I assumed jambalaya was off-limits to me because I’m allergic to shellfish. Then some of my students informed me it’s just as easily made with or without shrimp. Is jambalaya as good shrimp-free as it is shrimp-full? My shrimp-loving family members would probably say no. But I’m equally sure that if the options are shrimpless jambalaya or no jambalaya at all, they’d choose the former.

I hope so, anyway. This one is going into the rotation regardless.

SLOW-COOKER JAMBALAYA

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes (I used a quart of home-canned crushed tomatoes instead)
2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (use 1 lb. if adding shrimp)
1 lb. andouille sausage (I used Savoie’s mild Cajun sausage to keep it kid-friendly)
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chicken broth (mine was made from bouillon)
2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere’s is my favorite)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt, to taste

Optional
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I omitted it; the dish was flavorful but not hot)
1 lb. frozen, cooked shrimp

Instructions:
■ Combine tomatoes, chicken, sausage, vegetables, broth and seasonings in the crock of a slow cooker. Stir well. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
■ Break the chicken into bite-sized pieces using a large fork. Taste and add salt if needed.
■ Add shrimp, if using, during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Serve over steamed white rice.

Amelia Plair is a mom and high school teacher in Starkville. Email reaches her at [email protected].

Amelia Plair is a Starkville resident who writes occasional food columns.