Whether you are enjoying the last days of Mardi Gras or you just are cleaning out your freezer and want a good dump and run meal, this recipe has got you covered!

I like to celebrate my “Fat Tuesday” with plenty of meat, especially knowing that I’ll be fasting tomorrow for Ash Wednesday. I also like a meal that comes together with minimal effort on my part…ok yes, this one has a fair amount of chopping and dicing, but it’s all worth it in the end. If you’re making this at any other time of year, this is a perfect meal that covers all your bases when it comes to protein, veggies, and general deliciousness!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb Chicken Breast cut into bite size pieces
• 1 lb Smoked Sausage kielbasa
• 1 lb Shrimp raw and shells removed
• 1 Spanish Onion diced
• 1 Green pepper diced
• 1 Yellow or Orange pepper diced
• 3 ribs Celery diced
• 2-14 oz cans of diced tomatoes (I always use these Hunt’s ones, the flavor is amazing!)
• 3 tsp Garlic minced
• 1 cup Chicken stock
• 1 cup Seafood stock (you can use 2 cups of chicken if you can’t find seafood)
• 2 tbsp Tony Chachere creole seasoning
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 5 “dashes” of Tobasco…more or less to taste
• Cooked white rice (to serve over…your call as to how much you want)
• Sour Cream, scallions and more Tobasco for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

• Line your crockpot, thank me later.
• Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker, except for the shrimp and the rice.
• Cook on low for 7 hours.
• In last hour of cooking, add the shrimp to the Crockpot.
• You can serve right away, just pour generously over your rice and dress up as you see fit. I always suggest pairing with warm crusty bread, and enjoy!

Some thoughts…don’t come for me when you see I have not used a roux in this recipe. I KNOW that’s what an authentic all day simmered gumbo would start with. But I don’t have all day…and I definitely don’t have time to put together the perfect dark roux before I head off to work for the day. So feel free to create one if you have time, as it will only improve the flavor of this already amazing dish…but don’t feel guilty if you can’t.

Sausage alternatives…I hate sausage, which is why I’m using Kielbasa here. Feel free to use whatever your preferred sausage is! Chorizo, spicy, sweet, andouille….there are no wrong substitutions! Same goes for the chicken..don’t have chicken breasts? Thighs would work just as well. Put them in whole; their time in the crock will have the meat falling off the bones by the end, you’ll just need to retrieve the bones.

One last thing…this is definitely a recipe that benefits from the “second day flavor”. IF you can plan in advance to make it the day before you want to eat it, the flavors deepen so much from a night in the fridge! I simply pulled the crock insert out, left the lid on and refrigerated the entire thing! Then, when I was ready to serve, I put the insert back into the crockpot base and set it on “high” for an hour (covered).

So, put on some zydeco music, throw me some beads, and lets picture ourselves in the French Quarter as we enjoy a good parade and Laissez les bons temps rouler!!