Momosita's Crock Pot Gumbo

lolablitz's Note:

Delish! Don't let the "Crock Pot" in the title fool you - this gumbo is flavorful and the perfect consistency thanks to the pre-made roux. There isn't a lot of heat in my recipe because we have a toddler in the family, but you can easily add cayenne or your favorite hot sauce. I use a bag of frozen gumbo veggies for ease, but usually add another 2 cups of okra and 1 cup frozen corn because we a lot of veggies. I highly recommend using chicken thighs over breasts because the breasts become overcooked much more quickly in the crockpot. The thighs also round out the flavor nicely and will not be noticed by the white-meat-only eaters in your family if you use the boneless skinless variety and cut it up into bite-size pieces. You can also easily liven this recipe up with andouille sausage and/or shrimp. Enjoy!

• Total Time: 8 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 8 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• cajun seasoning, to taste
• 1/2 medium vidalia onion
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 1 (16 ounce) can chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn
• 2 cups okra, sliced (fresh or frozen)
• 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen gumbo-style vegetables
• 4 -6 cups rice

Directions:

1. Make the roux:.
2. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add flour and mix, stirring constantly until the roux turns the color of a penny. Don't let the roux burn! This will take at least 10 minutes, but fear not - you will be using a crockpot to finish the work!
3. Add roux to bottom of crockpot.
4. Whisk in chicken broth and let cool while prepping the chicken and Trinity.
5. Prepare the chicken and Trinity:.
6. Melt the butter over medium heat in the same heavy-bottomed pan (rinse it out first).
7. Add thighs and sear on both sides, sprinkling generously with Cajun seasoning.
8. Once nicely browned on the outside, cut the thighs into bite-size pieces and add to roux mix.
9. To the butter/brown bits pan, add the Trinity: onion, green pepper and garlic.
10. Saute over medium heat until softened and fragrant.
11. Add to the crockpot.
12. Add the rest of the ingredients except the rice to the crockpot, stir, and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.
13. During the last 20 minutes of cooking (while you're making the rice), uncover the crockpot to allow the gumbo to thicken.