Slow Cooker Gumbo

I saw this recipe deomonstratd on tv during a PBS telethon. It looked so good, that I made a donation in order to get the cookbook. I have not tried this recipe yet, but it sure looked good. Surprisingly, this recipe does not start with a roux, so this isn't quite a traditional version. Adapted from "5 Tastes of the South."

• Ready In: 9 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 -3  cups smoked sausage, cut into thin rounds
• 2  cups onions, chopped
• 2  cups celery, chopped
• 2  cups okra, chopped
• 2  cups bell peppers, chopped
• 2  quarts canned tomatoes, chopped
• 1  teaspoon dried parsley
• 3  tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2  teaspoons beef bouillon powder or 2  teaspoons chicken bouillon powder or 4  bouillon cubes
• 1  teaspoon  onion salt
• 1  teaspoon  garlic salt
• 2  cups  cooked chicken or 2  cups  seafood (they used a little of both)
• 1 1⁄4 cups  uncooked  instant rice (Minute Rice)
•  red pepper flakes or  cayenne pepper, to taste
•  file powder, to taste

Directions

1. Brown the sausage slices in a skillet for a few minutes to brown each side.
2. Add the first 11 ingredients to the crock pot (sausage through garlic salt).
3. Cook on medium setting for 8 hours.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings, then add uncooked Minute Rice, cooked chicken or seafood, and a shake of red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste, stirring well.
5. Let cook another 30 minutes.
6. Serve in bowls over a scoop of cooked white rice and garnished with file powder- or just serve in bowls as is, as a soup.