(Click Slow Cooked Chicken and Sausage Gumbo to download a PDF of this recipe) This is a wonderful recipe for all of you gourmets on the go.  You just need to get up about 15 minutes earlier to come home to a great meal at the end of a long day of work.

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into two-inch pieces
• 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds (I use chicken andouille sausage)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 chopped green bell pepper
• 2 cups frozen okra (I'm not gonna lie, I do omit the okra - but if you like it - use it!)
• 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt - you can add more salt, but I like to wait until the end of cooking to season to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups chicken broth (I like Kitchen Basics Low Sodium or No Sodium Broth)
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• Tabasco sauce to taste
• Sliced green onion for garnish
• Cooked white rice

Method

Layer chicken, sausage, onion, celery, green pepper, okra, Creole seasoning, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, black pepper, broth and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.   When you get home at the end of the day, cook some par-cooked brown or white rice - most of these  par-cooked rices only take about 15 minutes to make.  You can add shrimp to the gumbo during your rice preparation if you like it, but wait until about 1/2 hour prior to serving so it does not get overdone. When the rice is done, put 1 cup of rice on your plate and spoon some of your gumbo goodness over the top.  Garnish with green onions and season with hot sauce and salt to taste.