Cajun Chicken with Sausage

This is our ultimate favorite slow cooker freezer meal. I asked Mark to choose what he wanted for dinner tonight and I was not one bit surprised that he picked this one. I first made it for Fat Tuesday last year. I wanted to do something fun to celebrate, so I found a Cajun recipe and I brought home a mini king cake from Merritt's. I want to thank Google and McCormick for helping me with this recipe. This makes two meals by splitting the recipe in half between 2 gallon-sized freezer bags.

Cajun Chicken with Sausage fresh out of the freezer

Ingredients

1tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I use a little less because I'm a wimp)
1 package (14oz) turkey Kielbasa sausage, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 cups coarsely chopped onions
1 cup coarsely chopped green bell pepper
1 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup sliced celery
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
4 bay leaves
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
2 cups instant white rice

Directions

1) Write on 2 gallon freezer bags: Cajun Chicken with Sausage, the date, and the following instructions: Cook8 hours on low or 4 hours on high until chicken and vegetables are cooked. Remove chicken to a cutting board, dice it into bite-sized pieces, then return it to the slow cooker.  Add 1 cup instant rice to slow cooker, stir and cook on high for 15-20 minutes until rice is tender. Remove bay leaves before serving.
2) Chop onions, bell peppers, and celery - divide between the two bags.
3) Cut the kielbasa on a diagonal - divide between the two bags. 
4) Open the can of tomatoes, and measure out chicken broth - divide between the two bags.
5) Divide the seasonings (paprika, thyme, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper) between the two bags.
6) Put 3 chicken thighs in each bag
7) Press the air out of the bags and seal them shut. Lay them flat in your freezer.