Gumbo!!!

Being from Colorado, gumbo was not a meal I grew up on. When I married my husband, I was introduced to a whole new world of delicious food. Gumbo has become one of my favorites. It has taken a while to get it to taste exactly how my husband likes it along with my own twist. I have finally accomplished making a delicious bowl of gumbo. Here is what is needed:

1 Chopped Onion

1 Chopped Bell Pepper

2 Chopped stalks of Celery

1 chopped Jalapeno

3 crushed garlic cloves

2 cups of chopped okra

1/2 cup of butter

1 Package of Hot Links cut into bite size pieces

4 Chicken breasts

32 ounces of beef broth

3 tablespoons of Creole seasoning

1 tablespoon of Old Bay seasoning 2 bay leaves

1/4 cup of flour

1 package of raw shrimp (the amount is really up to you, we like a lot)

The very first thing I do is get all my ingredients prepped. It makes it easier, and less stressful as you cook the meal. Once everything is prepped and ready to go, I get the pot I want to cook my gumbo in on the stove to heat up. You will want to choose a decent size pot because it makes a lot.

When the pot is warmed up I add the hot link pieces. I like each piece to get a slight char on them. This adds to the overall flavor. Once each piece is cooked, I remove the hot link from the pot to a bowl and set aside. Next, I put 1 tablespoon of butter in the pot. When melted, I saute the onion, pepper, jalapeno, okra, and celery. Once the onion becomes translucent I remove the veggies and put them in the same bowl as the hot links.

I put the rest of the butter in the pot. When melted, I add the flour. I wisk the roux on medium heat until it becomes a golden brown color. Sometimes this can take a while. As soon as it turns golden I add the beef broth, and all the other ingredient except for the shrimp. I allow this to simmer for at least 5 hours. You only add the shrimp 5-7 minutes (depending on if they are frozen or not) before you want to eat. That way the shrimp doesn't overcook. This gumbo is delicious the same day you cook it, but it's even better the next day.

Our family likes to serve this over white rice. It's soooo good!

Tool of the day is........ the Mix n Chop! I love this thing! I use it to crush ground beef, shred chicken, make guacamole, the options are unlimited. It's a tool I would greatly miss within my collection. I will provide a link for you to check out this awesome product

https://www.pamperedchef.com/pws/npurvis/shop/Favorites/Favorites/Mix+%27N+Chop/2583