New Orleans Jambalaya

Another southern favorite!  This makes a LOT.  (Claims to make 15 servings.  I would say so! 15 restaurant sized servings!)

Marinade:
1 cup soy sauce
4 Tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp paprika
2 onions, chopped
2 Tbsp ground black pepper
16 chicken breasts

3/4 lbs bacon cut in small pieces
8 onions, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
6 Tbsp flour
3 lbs sausage (italian, chorizo, andouille if you can find it, whatever you like)
3 lbs cooked ham cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 Tbsp dried thyme
4 tsp cayenne pepper
5 cups chicken stock
6 cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 green pepper, chopped
6 cups uncooked white rice
10 lbs medium shrimp- peeled and deveined

Here is the recipe and my commentary will be at the bottom. 
Chicken marinade:  In a large shallow dish or bowl, mix all marinade ingredients and place the chicken in the marinade.  Refridgerate for at least 3 hours.
Saute bacon in a dutch oven over medium heat till brown.  Add the onion and garlic.  Continue to cook 5 minutes.  Mix in flour and sausage and continue to cook five minutes more, stirring frequently.  Add the ham, thyme cayenne, chicken stock, tomatoes with juice, and green peppers and bring to a boil.  Stir in rice, cover, and cook for 25 minutes.  Remove from heat, cool, and refridgerate.
Two hours before serving, discard marinade and bake chicken breasts at 500 degrees for about 12 minutes or until the flesh feels firm when pressed.  Cool and cut into bite size pieces.  Reduce oven's temperature to 250 degrees.  Place covered jambalaya pot on large baking tray filled with hot water.  Make until warm, about 2 hours.  Just before serving, boil 5 qts of water.  Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes until they are firm to the touch.  Drain well, toss shrimp and chicken with jambalaya mixture and serve.

Now if you know me AT ALL, you know I did not put any shrimp in it when I made it.  But since most people will say it's not Jambalaya without it, I reluctantly included it in the recipe.  I also used less meat than it called for, because I am cheap.  Also, I  left out the whole cooling step.  I just cooked the chicken while cooking all of the rest of the jambalaya, stirred it in after the rice had its 25 minutes and served it.  The reason I left the recipe as it was originally written is because it is probably best that way.  I'm sure it developes the best flavor and texture if you wait and do it the way that it directs, as well as adding all the meat, shrimp, etc..  But it was still really good even using my easy method. Love that cajun flavor!!