Slow cooker Gumbo

Every Christmas, my father in law makes the most delicious Gumbo! I remember the Christmas I was pregnant, I sat down with a large bowl of Gumbo and a bottle of Tums. That night while I was propped up on pillows with the worse indigestion ever, I was still thinking about that gumbo. When I found a recipe for slow cooker gumbo I knew I had to try it. After several runs and tweaks it is just right.

I have to warn you about this recipe. A roux is involved....For all you novice cookers, a roux is essentially burnt flour. Im not joking! You also have to exemplify great persistence when making this dumb thing. A roux is equal parts oil and flour cooked over medium to low heat while constantly being stirred. In my experience you also have to have some magical power to make a perfect roux. If you cant tell yet, I am not very good at making a roux; however, I have a very talented husband that can. He also makes delicious gravy too (the same technique for making gravy is involved in a roux.) Maybe it's a hereditary thing, because my mother can not make gravy unless it is a powdered mix.

If you are roux-challenged like me, and dont have an awesome husband that handles all things roux dont let that keep you from making this great recipe. You can always buy Tony Chachers's Instant Creole Roux mix.

This is really an easy and cheap recipe. This time I used chicken and turkey kilbasa. When shrimp is on sale I will use shrimp and kilbasa.

 First step is to make your roux and set aside to cool. Stir 3T of oil and 3T of flour on low heat until you get a dark color and the mixture is thickened.

In a freezer bag put rotel, diced kilbasa, diced chicken, minced garlic, cayenne pepper, and creole seasoning. I also added diced jalapenos (optional) Once your roux is cooled pour it in the bag.

I defrosted my gumbo the night before in the fridge and then through it in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours. About 30-60 minutes before eating, put the frozen okra into the gumbo. I have found that putting it in last keep the okra a little crisp.

We always cook white rice and  mix it in, but some like their gumbo without a starch. If you have sissy taste buds and can not tolerate hot foods, substitute hot rotel with diced tomatoes, or skip the cayenne pepper. We like spicy foods at our house!