Easy and Quick Gumbo with Sausage and Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup frozen chopped onions
• 1 cup frozen green bell peppers
• 1 cup frozen cut okra
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 (3.5 ounce) bag boil-in-bag rice
• 2 cups chopped roasted chicken
• 8 ounces kielbasa sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green peppers and onions
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

Step 1

Whisk together the flour and oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Keep stirring often until it thickens up and looks like cake frosting. Then, keep cooking and stirring constantly for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the roux turns a rich, dark golden brown. Just be careful not to let it burn—you want that deep, nutty flavor.

Step 2

Toss in the onions, bell peppers, okra, celery, garlic, Creole seasoning, thyme, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Let everything cook together until the veggies soften, which should take around 3 to 6 minutes.

Step 3

While the veggies are cooking, bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Drop in the sealed bag of rice and let it cook uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes until the rice is tender. Once it's done, take the bag out, drain any excess water, cut it open, and fluff the rice with a fork.

Step 4

Now, add the chicken, kielbasa, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth to the pot with the veggies. Stir everything together and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until it's heated through and the flavors meld.

Step 5

When everything’s ready, serve the gumbo over the warm, fluffy rice and enjoy!