Crockpot Creations :: Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

My first big Crock Pot was given to me by my mother-in-law about a year ago at my bridal shower. I've learned to cook just about ANYTHING in it, and so should you!

After cleaning/organizing my freezer last night, I found that I had just enough chicken and all the ingredients I needed to make gumbo. Knowing we were going to have a cold and beautiful Saturday, I decided it would make the perfect meal. Now, my recipe doesn't use a homemade roux. As a young, working girl on a budget, I strive for convenience and affordability. I've actually never made a homemade roux (although I do know that the basic principle calls for equal parts oil and flour) so I am unsure if it would apply to the slow cooker method.

So, I start by sprinkling about a half container of Guidry's Creole Seasoning in the bottom of my cooker. This has EVERYTHING you need for all your southern cooking! I use it in my red beans, white beans, pot roast and so much more! It has your yellow onions, bell pepper, celery, green onion, parsley and garlic. It's pre-chopped, so there's nothing that you need to do! It's less than $4 per container, and it can usually be found at Target, Walmart and most other grocery stores. I keep a couple containers in my freezer at all times, and when I'm in need of some seasonings I pop off the lid and stab the creole goodness all over with a knife to loosen it up. A half container is usually the perfect amount for whatever it is I'm cooking. (A half container of just the Guidry's Chopped Onions is what I believe to be the equivalent of about one large onion, in case you were wondering about that measurement.) I will use fresh onions and peppers if I have them on hand, but the Guidry's works just the same, and I LOVE the convenience of not having to chop any veggies or dirty a cutting board.

I then take my FROZEN boneless skinless chicken breast and lay that in the cooker. I buy the large packs at Sam's for less than $2 per pound, and I freeze them individually. For a few cents more, I sometimes buy the chicken tenders, and I estimate about 1 pound per freezer bag.

Chicken is almost all that I cook. In college, I cooked a lot of ground beef because it was cheap and easy. I was also always so nervous about undercooking my chicken and I would end up drying it out. That's one reason I LOVE cooking in my Crock Pot because it's very hard to overcook and the chicken is always so juicy and delicious! I also don't have the same body type or metabolism that I had in college, so I find myself eating less red meat. It's funny how just a few years makes a difference, but oh what I would give to be 21 again!

Once the chicken is in, I sprinkle the top with some more Guidry's, and I also add in some minced garlic, salt, pepper, Tony Chachere's and about a pound of smoked sausage. I pour in a 32 ounce box of Swanson chicken broth and fill my Crock Pot with water until it covers the chicken completely.

I put this in last night well before bed and set the timer on low for 5 hours because I knew I wouldn't be up before then and that it would automatically switch back to warm and stay there until I turned it off. Typically I cook my chicken on low for 6 to 7 hours, but I knew it would still be cooking in the warm Crock Pot for much longer. I took the chicken out when I got up this morning and shredded it with two forks. I LOVE shredded chicken and I love SHREDDING chicken because it's so gosh darn easy and effortless when it's that juicy and moist, but I found out today that my husband prefers larger chunks in his gumbo. So, feel free to shred or cut the chicken however your mouth desires! The chicken will fall apart either way. YUM! After shredding the chicken, I sprinkled Tony's all over to give it lots of flavor.

While the chicken was out, I whisked in a box of Kary's gumbo roux mix. I've been using this for a few years now because it's cheap and easy (notice a pattern?). One day I'll make a homemade roux, but for now this is doing the trick! I turn the Crock Pot back on high to get the heat up and keep whisking for a little while before adding the chicken in. Once the chicken's in, I turn it on low and let it cook for another 20-30 minutes or so before serving.

A couple cups of rice in the rice cooker and a box of cornbread mix made this a DELICIOUS dinner. I love these kinds of meals that require virtually no effort or clean-up! I always cook way more than we need so I can freeze it for future meals (my freezer is STOCKED with soups and stews and roasts that I've made over the weeks). I've made this same gumbo many times on the stove, and my husband said that my Crock Pot batch was my best batch yet!

I'll be cooking a lot more with the holidays this month, so stay tuned for more delicious recipes!

Chantelle's Slow Cooker Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients:

• 1-2 pounds frozen boneless skinless chicken breast
• 0.5-1 pound of smoked sausage, chopped
• 1 box Kary's Gumbo Roux mix
• Half container of Guidry's Creole Seasoning mix
• Minced garlic
• Salt
• Pepper
• Tony Chachere's
• Onion powder (if you have it)
• Garlic powder (if you have it)
• 32 ounces of Swanson chicken broth
• Water

Directions:

• In a 6 quart slow cooker, add frozen chicken, smoked sausage and seasonings.
• Pour in chicken broth and fill with water until the chicken is completely covered.
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
• Take chicken out and shred or cut into bite sized pieces. Sprinkle with Tony's seasoning.
• Slowly whisk in roux mix and cook on high for about 15 minutes.
• Add chicken back in and cook on low for another 20-30 minutes.
• Serve over rice.
• Enjoy!