Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

I can’t believe it. It’s already been a year since Rob & I got married! Time sure does fly when you’re having fun.

We celebrated our first anniversary by taking a rather unusual trip. At first, Rob recommended a stay at the Skirvin in downtown OKC, which is easily the fanciest hotel in the city. One day, he jokingly brought up the Twister museum in Wakita, Oklahoma. He told me they had a guest house and we should go for our anniversary.

I was down. It wasn’t a joke to me. Rob and I have always had our best times visiting quirky places and road tripping throughout the country. It was on.

Wakita has a dwindling population of 300 and absolutely ZERO cell phone reception. The one stop town is famous for being the setting and shooting location for the 90’s movie “Twister”. Honestly, this is the best first anniversary I could have ever hoped for. It was fun and exciting and quite the adventure.

Saturday morning we had to travel 30 miles and across state lines just to get breakfast. The one cafe in Wakita was not opened on the weekends, except for Sunday lunch. Rob had probably the best biscuits and gravy I’ve ever tasted. I busted my diet with an omelet, hashbrowns, and the world’s most fluffy pancake.

We only made it a 3-day weekend but still made the most of our time in the rural Oklahoma countryside. Sunday morning and it was back home and to reality. I really binged this weekend and made the most of our food adventure, but I’m back on the keto track today.

To continue with Crocktober, I needed to make two simple slowcooker meals for the week. This gumbo recipe is not traditional by any means—but it’s got all of the Cajun flavor you need in a good gumbo. My mom make an incredible seafood gumbo that is a very dark brown color—because she makes a roux. You can’t really make a roux with a crockpot, but this still fits the definition of a “gumbo”.

At first I thought maybe it was closer to a jambalaya, but there is one key difference: gumbo is more of a soup—or a stew. Jambalaya really leans heavily on rice, and is more like a briyani. My title still stands: this is a gumbo!

If you’re in for a quick dinner you can throw in the slow cooker, than this is your guy. The only time-consuming parts are peeling the shrimp and chopping the veggies…but that takes no time at all.

Enjoy!

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 5-6 hrs
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

A simple, slow-cooker version of gumbo with chicken, sauasage and shrimp.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
• 1 lb. smoked sausage or andouille, sliced
• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 TBS. creole or Cajun seasoning
• salt & pepper

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in slow cooker except for shrimp. Stir together and cook on low for 5-6 hours.
2. Place shrimp in slow cooker during last hour of cooking.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Place all ingredients in slow cooker except for shrimp. Stir together and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Place shrimp in slow cooker during last hour of cooking.