A deliciously hearty and well-spiced dish. Rice is simmered with smoked sausage, chicken, pepper, onions, tomatoes and seasonings. It's the perfect dish to keep you warm during the winter.
File powder is also known as sassafras leaves. It is used as a thickener. You can buy ground sassafras leaves in speciality stores or online.
My husband is a New Orleans native and constantly complains about people attempting to make "their cuisine". This one passed the test with flying colors! We had this two weeks ago and he is begging me to make it again! - 23 Oct 2006 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
Excellent!! Just used olive oil, kielbasa, no file powder, and added some shrimp during the last 7 minutes. Since I added the shrimp, I used a full 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes. Also seasoned with some thyme and fresh basil. Cooked rice separately, so skipped on the broth. - 08 Aug 2006 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
Excellent! All I had on hand was Italian sausage and it was wonderful. I did need to add another can of tomatoes as there wasn't enough liquid for the rice to cook. Family loved it! - 08 Oct 2001 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)