If this time of the year is crazy hectic for you, I can totally relate! I love it though. Just love it! It excites me! Wouldn’t change this madness for anything in the world. Gathering our loved ones under one single roof means everything to me. With everyone’s busy lives, seems like the week of Christmas is the only time we get to really catch up with our family and close friends.
Time is just so precious. Dontcha think? And I try to make every second of our family time together count! So, I get my act together weeks in advance. My priority #1 are the meals…. Delicious and healthy freezer meals. Life goes a lot smoother when people are well fed.
So, I couldn’t wait to sit down and share this recipe with you guys! One of my favorite crock-pot freezer meals… Easy crock-pot sausage gumbo. It is such a crowd pleaser. So flavorful and delicious that I made a lot more of it just a few days ago for dinner. Plus some extra to freeze. I truly expect people to dig in for seconds on this one.
The cast of characters…..
Here’s the recipe:
Easy Crock-Pot Sausage Gumbo
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb Smoked turkey or Kielbasa sausage sliced into thin slices
- 1 large chicken breast cooked and diced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 28 oz can of diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp tabasco or hot sauce
- 10 oz package of frozen or fresh okra
Instructions
- Slightly brown the sausage and add to slow cooker. Add all the other items to slow cooker except okra and tabasco. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 7-9 hours or on high 3-4 hours. Stir in okra (you don’t want to overcook the okra) and tabasco sauce. Cook 30 minutes longer. Serve gumbo over cooked rice.To freeze add all items except okra and tabasco to gallon sized freezer safe bag. Label and freeze. Cook as directed.
Nutrition
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As you see, we tend to enjoy it more on the chunky side. 😉 But if you’d rather have yours with a little more liquid, add half a cup of water (just adjust your salt/pepper). Next time I whip this up I will try it with Italian spicy sausage instead. I bet that would also be super yummy. And what about substituting the chicken for some of your leftover turkey? Ohh my! Okay, now we’re talking!
Our freezer is now stocked with some of my favorite freezer meals and ready for any type of gathering. I’m so excited!! Really can’t wait for the folks to arrive and totally look forward to all the laughter and love throughout the house. The thought of sitting near the fireplace with the other adults or snuggling up on the couch with the kids watching their favorite Christmas movies is a lot more appealing than being stuck in the kitchen for hours making meals.
Honestly, this really is a no fuss type of recipe. And a finger lickin’ good one!
Comments & Reviews
Hi. The photo shows to freeze okra but you advise to not freeze it. Can you please clarify?
I use pre-frozen okra usually so it will freeze great in this recipe.
Mine is in the slow cooker as I type – hooray!
I initially read this recipe from your “15 Actually Easy Freezer Meals (Seriously!)” post and printed that recipe. There are a few, hopefully minor, differences. This one calls for adding the chicken. It also says not to add the okra until later. Oops! Mine is in there now.
I had the same question as Amanda. When preparing this for the freezer, does one brown the sausage? It looks like you may have done that.
Fingers crossed that this is a hit with the family.
Is there anything you could sub for the okra? I realize then it may not be an “authentic” gumbo, but just wondering what options for substitution would be.
PS You are so awesome!!!
Hmmmm… I’m not sure what to substitute.. maybe just omit it?
I was thinking of green peppers instead of the okra
Can I make this with raw chicken?
Yes you can!
When you set it up for the freezer, is the meat pre-browned then frozen?
Sounds yummy!
This looks allergy friendly! Yumm 🙂
My husband will love this recipe!
This looks tasty. How would you incorporate shrimp into this recipe? Add it towards the end of the cooking time?
Yes I would add it right at the end of the cooking time so the shrimp didn’t overcook! Yummy!
As a Louisisana girl (raised in New Orleans) I can tell you that this is very good!
I love this. A freezer meal for the crockpot. Now that is my kind of meal!
This is a staple in my house ever since you sent it out by email. I add those tiny salad shrimp in right at the end before serving.
this one looks good
This looks really good!
I am compiling a “make & freeze ahead slow cooker” index card collection for my son for Christmas and think he would love to come home to this dinner. I figure once he starts making meals ahead, he’ll be hooked. Naturally the book will include you site.
Great idea! 🙂