Slow Cooker Gumbo Recipe

We only used to make gumbo on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras).  Even though this dish is outstanding, we would only make it once a year because it takes about 4 hours from start to finish!  This is a much simpler recipe for gumbo that tastes just as good.  You can add everything into the slow cooker before you go to work and have great tasting gumbo for dinner any night of the week.  Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, diced
3 ribs of celery, finely chopped
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
2 serrano chilies, deseeded and finely diced
16 oz. smoked Andouille  sausage, cut into thin rounds
flour, for dusting chicken

2 chicken breasts, chopped into 1 1/2 inch pieces
salt and pepper to taste
ground cayenne pepper to taste

12 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
1 tspn Tabasco sauce

Preparation:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the butter and olive oil.  Add the onion and saute for about 4 minutes.  After the onions have finished cooking, add them to the slow cooker.
2. Add the salt, pepper, garlic, celery, green pepper, red pepper, serrano chiles and Andouille sausage to the slow cooker.
3. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Add the chopped chicken to the bowl.  Mix the pieces of chicken with the flour mixture so that they are well coated.  Remove the pieces of chicken from the bowl and add them to a skillet over medium heat.  Cook for about 8 minutes.  Add some of the chicken broth to the skillet to clean the bottom of the pan.  Add the chicken and broth to the slow cooker.  Discard the remaining flour mixture.
4. Add the remaining chicken broth, chopped tomatoes, and Tabasco sauce.
5. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
6. After 8 hours, taste the gumbo and season as needed with Tabasco.
7. Serve over warm rice. 

United States Louisiana  [ print this recipe for Slow Cooker Gumbo ]