Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Over the summer, I had a hankering for Buffalo Wings.  But I didn't want to make the full wing.  I didn't want to fire up the fryer or the oven.  But I wanted the flavor.  That spicy, tangy, crispy, drooling........oh, sorry.  I love buffalo wings.  Especially on game days.  The only thing I don't like about them is getting the buffalo sauce on my fingers and having it burn my skin.  So I usually opt for the boneless wings.  No fryer, no oven, boneless chicken.  This called for a slow cooker recipe!

So this is what I came up with.  A slow cooker version that you can pile high with tender chicken, saucy and spicy. I also wanted my carrots and blue cheese with it.  So I made a carrot slaw, tossed on some red cabbage, and topped it with chunky blue cheese dressing.  The result was so delicious, and tasted just like having wings at a restaurant.  Seriously one of my new favorite sandwiches.  One tip - get a good, crispy roll.  Not a soft bun like a hamburger bun.  We're talking bakery roll.  The soft buns will soak up the sauce too much and fall apart in your hands.  Okay, I think I need to make these again this week.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cups chicken broth
1 bottle Frank's® Red Hot Buffalo Wings Sauce
1 bottle Lighthouse® Chunky Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
Shredded Cabbage
Sandwich rolls

Carrot Slaw:

3 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Place chicken breasts and broth in slow cooker.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

2. Prepare carrot slaw.  Combine carrot shreds with olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Toss to coat.  Set aside.

3. Remove chicken from slow cooker.  Discard liquid.  Shred chicken with 2 forks and place in a large bowl.  Add 1/2 bottle or 1 cup of wing sauce to chicken and toss to coat.

4. Pour 1 Tbs. of blue cheese dressing onto bottom half of sandwich roll.  Top with buffalo chicken. Add shredded cabbage and carrot slaw.  Pour another 1 Tbs. of dressing on top of carrot slaw, adding more buffalo sauce if desired.  Top with remaining sandwich roll half.  Serve immediately.

Serves 6

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Lemon and Pesto Chicken Parmesan

Is this really a recipe?  You betcha!  This recipe gave me a little inspiration and motivation to get it up on the blog.  And I think you'll like it!  With the lemon zest in the chicken and the basil pesto sauce, it is such a light, refreshing switch up for regular Chicken Parm with marinara sauce.  But it still tastes like a traditional Italian dish with the oregano and basil.  My kids loved the fried aspect of it.  Using panko crumbs made it nice and crunchy while the asiago cheese in the mix totally just blew the flavor out of the water.

It might seem unnecessary to half the chicken breasts, but it's so important.  Not only will it ensure that it cooks evenly, but your portion will be perfect.  I don't know about you, but a full chicken breast is almost overwhelming when having it with anything else.  (Usually I end up cutting part of it off for one of the kiddos.)  And because I've started counting calories religiously, I've thrown the calories down at the end of the recipe for you.  And yes, it includes the pasta and pesto!

Lemon and Pesto Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 egg
1 Tbs. flour
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese
1/2 Tbs. dried oregano
1/2 Tbs. dried basil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
8 oz. (1/2 package) angel hair pasta
1 cup basil pesto sauce

Directions:

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the chicken breasts in half, horizontally, and pound with a meat mallet until even thickness.  Set aside.

2. Combine egg and flour in a bowl and whisk with a fork until flour is incorporated.  In a shallow bowl, combine panko crumbs, asiago cheese, oregano, basil, garlic powder, black pepper, and lemon zest.  Toss with a fork to mix well.  Combine mozzarella and parmesan cheeses in a separate bowl and set aside.

3. Preheat olive oil in a large skillet.  Dip chicken into egg mixture, coating well, and allow excess to drip off.  Place in panko mixture, using hands to thoroughly coat chicken.  Place into hot skillet and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, turning only once, or until cooked through.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese mixture evenly on all 4 pieces of chicken.  Place a lid on the skillet and remove from heat.  Keep lid on until cheese has melted.

4. While chicken is cooking, prepare pasta by bringing a large saucepan of water to a boil, and cooking for 4 minutes for al dente.  Serve with chicken and pesto sauce.

Serves 4
789 Calories per serving

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Apricot Chicken

You all have been so patient with me over the last couple of weeks.  I have finally made it through the flood of apricot jam that engulfed my kitchen.  I grew up having relatives who owned an orchard in Northern Utah.  They grew peaches and pears that we helped them harvest and in turn we were able to keep some.  My mother would bring them home and can some of them whole, and some of them she would turn into freezer jam.

So when my father in law called up and said he had 3 trees full of ripe apricots that had to be picked THAT weekend, we took advantage.  I don't have the tools to can fruit, so they all had to be made into jam.  Lots and lots of jam.  To be exact, I ended up with almost 60 cups of apricot jam.  And I still had fruit left over.  I didn't want them to go to waste.  Making a main dish with chicken and the remaining apricots only seemed appropriate.














My mom also made an apricot chicken when I was growing up, but it was always a little dry for my liking.  I chose to use chicken tenders instead of full breasts in order to shorten the cooking time and keep the chicken from drying out.  Also, I wanted a little tang to my sauce.  Just the jam makes it too sweet.  I had a bottle of catalina taking up space in my fridge.  I knew that would give it some tang.

The whole dish takes just a few simple ingredients, but it produced something awesome.  I has a bit of an Asian flair to it, especially when you serve it with rice.  And it was a HUGE hit with the kids.  They loved that I used apricots in it.  It just made the whole meal even more fun to enjoy.

Apricot Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lb. chicken tenders
10 apricots, washed, pitted, and cut into quarters
1 cup catalina dressing
1 cup apricot jam
1 packet onion soup mix
White rice, cooked according to package instructions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray.  Lay chicken tenders in pan and sprinkle apricot pieces over the top.

2. Combine catalina dressing, jam, and onion soup mix in a medium bowl.  Pour over chicken and apricots.

3. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.  Serve over rice.

Serves 4


P.S. If you want to know how I made apricot freezer jam, you just need to pick up a bottle of Ball RealFruit Classic Pectin.  This is the recipe I used.  It's actually very easy to make your own freezer jam.

Related articles

• Chicken Pot Pie
• Grandma Cook's Lemon Barbecue Chicken
• Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken
• Chicken Cordon Bleu

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Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Shells

This time of year brings the comfort food to my house.  I'm able to bake to my heart's content.  I can run my oven all day long and not break a sweat.  And pasta is one of my favorite comfort foods.  All that yummy melted cheese stuffed into a pocket of pasta just appeals to me.

One of my favorites are stuffed shells.  My mom would make stuffed shells all the time when I was a child.  And while they still have a special place in my heart, I choose to make meatless.  I love stuffing them full of spinach and mushrooms with the cheeses.  Add some garlic and it's just a fantastic combination.  Sauce matters too.  I really like Ragu pasta sauces, and when I make a stuffed pasta like Stuffed Shells, I like something non-traditional.  I really like sauces with garlic and sundried tomatoes.  It gives more depth to the flavors in the dish.

Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

1/2 box jumbo pasta shells
26 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce
4 cups Mozzerella cheese
8 oz. Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 package sliced mushrooms, minced
3 cloves garlic
3 eggs

Directions:


1. Cook pasta shells according to directions on box.  Drain and set aside.


2. Prepare cheese filling by combining 3 cups of the Mozzerella, Ricotta, and Parmesan cheeses, spinach, mushroom, garlic, and egg in a large bowl.  


3. Pour 1/3 of bottle of spaghetti sauce into an ungreased 9x13 pan.  Spoon cheese filling into shells and place in 9x13 pan.  Pour remaining sauce over tops of shells.  Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of Mozzerella cheese over sauce.


4. Cover with aluminum foil.  Keep refrigerated until ready to cook.  


5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook for 45 minutes or until cheese is melted.  

Serves 6

Updated 10/8/2013

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Chicken Pot Pie

Comfort food.  Doesn't that already sound appealing?  Throw in some pie crust and a warm sauce and I think I'm sold.  Chicken Pot Pie has always been something that kind of intimidated me.  It seems like the crusts are never good - either too thick or overdone.  The vegetables aren't my thing - I'm not a big peas and carrots only fan.  And there's only a few pieces of chicken.  And that's the premade pot pies.  Ah, the beauty of homemade food - you can make it HOW YOU WANT IT!

Enter Bird's Eye frozen vegis.  I was browsing through the frozen vegetables section and found this awesome assortment - baby carrots, corn, white corn, and asparagus.  You had me at asparagus.  Our family loves it.  So thinking of that in a pot pie totally appeals to me.  Here's a tip for boiled chicken - fill your pot half full over water, add the chicken and a little season salt.  Bring the water to a simmer and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and place the lid on the pot for another 20 minutes.  If you aren't going to use the chicken immediately, put it in the fridge to keep it from going bad.  This way, your boiled chicken will not dry out!  I promise!

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

2 (12 oz.) bags Bird's Eye Frozen Vegetables, defrosted.
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
2 chicken breasts, boiled and cubed
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Dash of black pepper
2 (9") pie crusts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Prepare individual ramekins by spraying non-stick cooking spray on the bottoms only.

2. Cut pie crusts into quarters, for a total of 8 pieces. Roll out one piece until thin.  Line the bottom of each with a quarter of crust, molding it with your fingers to fit.

3. In a large bowl, stir together the vegetables, chicken, soup, milk, garlic powder, and pepper.  Spoon mixture into each pan or ramekin. Top each with a pie crust quarter. Pinch the edges together and cut 4 vents in the top.  Brush with an egg wash of 1 large egg and 1 Tbs. water.

4. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4

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Asian Grilled Salmon

Fish is such a wonderful, high protein meal.  Our family loves it in all varieties.  Grilled, fried, in tacos, in sushi... And since we have family in Alaska, we have become very fond of salmon.  Did you know that Pacific Salmon is the best quality salmon you can get?  Atlantic Salmon is usually farmed.  Where Pacific Salmon is most wildly caught.  It's beautifully pink, sometimes closer to red.  And it isn't full of mercury like it's Eastern version.  Most often I have to buy it at my local fish market (for those of you in Las Vegas, check out Seafood City on Maryland) or I have even found it at Costco (and it's CHEAP there!).

This recipe is chalk full of Asian flavors - soy sauce, ginger, and garlic.  It's a wonderful compliment to this fleshy fish.  With the brown sugar and the honey in the marinade, it gives a nice caramelized char to the fish.  So while the outside gets crispy, the inside stays nice and tender and moist.  And here's a tip - if you buy it at your local fish market, usually they will remove the skin and debone it for you!  If not, you can still grill it with the skin - it comes off very easily after cooking it.

Asian Grilled Salmon

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. melted butter
3 Tbs. packed brown sugar
3 Tbs. soy sauce
3 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. salmon

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients, except salmon, in a medium bowl.  Whisk until combined.  Pour half into a gallon size ziploc bag.  Reserve remaining.

2. Slice salmon into 4 pieces.  Place in ziploc bag and allow to marinade for 30 minutes, flipping bag once.

3. Preheat grill on medium heat.  Grease grill.

4. Place salmon pieces on hot grill and cook for 10-20 minutes, using remainder of marinade to brush over salmon 2 or 3 times during cooking.  Salmon will be cooked when it flakes easily with a fork.

Serves 4

**Important Tip: DO NOT keep any remaining marinade.  Discard to avoid salmonella poisoning.

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Pulled Pork Sandwiches

There are so many days where slow cooker dinners just appeal to me.  Especially during the summer when it's too hot to cook, or we're going to be out all day and I still want my family to have a healthy meal.  But the times I use it most is on Sunday when we have church.  For some reason, we are STARVING when we get home from church. 


I had heard about using Coke in slow cooker meat recipes.  So one day I thought I'd give it a try.  I really like pulled pork sandwiches but barbecue sauce straight up is a little strong for me.  And a little sweet.  It took a few times of mixing the pork with different ingredients, but with the right spices and some onion it was awesome.  I am a huge fan of combining a ton of spices to make something incredibly yummy.  Especially ginger and cinnamon.  There is something so wonderful about the combination of these and the aroma they give off when cooking.  

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. ground ginger
1/2 Tbs. garlic powder
1/2 Tbs. kosher salt
1/2 Tbs. onion powder
1/2 Tbs. chili powder
1 tsp. dry thyme
1 tsp. coarse black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 medium onion, sliced
1 can Coke
1 cup barbecue sauce
4 Tbs. butter
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
Sliced swiss cheese
French style rolls

Directions:


1. Place sliced onion in crock pot.  Combine all seasonings/spices in a bowl and rub over pork tenderloin.  Place in crock pot.  Pour in Coke.


2. Cook on low heat for 8 hours.  DO NOT REMOVE LID TO CHECK!


3. Remove pork from crock pot and shred using forks.  Remove all but 1/2 cup of liquid in crock pot.  Add barbecue sauce and shredded pork.  Allow to warm through, about 30 minutes.


4. Sautee mushrooms in large skillet with butter.  


5. Using tongs, pick up shredded pork and add as much as desired to your roll, layer with onions and mushrooms, then cheese.  

Serves 6

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Steak Fajitas

Anyone else a fan of "Friends?"  Remember the episode with the awkward date between Ross, Charli, Joey, and Rachel?  Ross tries to convince them all that he's fine with the situation and announces that he's going to make "FAJITAS!"  Oh my gosh, I love that episode.  I am a HUGE fan of Friends - I own all 10 seasons, #10 being my first Christmas gift from The Hubs.  (Have I ever told you how much I love that man?)









So Fajitas.  This was a dish that frequented our dinner table when I was growing up.  Both my parents love fajitas.  But, as is my style, I had to up it a notch.  I'm not a big fan of packaged marinades.  They contain a lot of sodium.  I'd rather use fresh ingredients.  Plus, my version has orange juice in it.  It just something for the meat that makes it so UH-mazing.  Then, you add the vegis, the flour tortillas, and the extras, and you're instantly transported to food coma.

Steak Fajitas

Ingredients:

2 lbs. steak
Marinade
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
Flour tortillas
Guacamole
Salsa
Sour Cream
Fresh Cilantro


Marinade:

1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
4 Tbs. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 chipolte chiles in adobo sauce
3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. To make marinade, add all ingredients to food processor and puree until smooth.  Pour into resealable gallon size bag.

2. Add steak to bag with marinade.  Allow to marinade in refrigerator for 12-24 hours.

3. Preheat large skillet on medium high heat.  Remove beef from marinade.  Cook steak over medium high heat for 4-6 minutes on each side.  Remove to cutting board and allow to rest (this will lock in juices).  

4. Pour remainder of marinade into skillet and cook for 2 minutes.  Place vegetables in skillet and cook until tender.

5. Before serving, slice the steak into strips against the grain.  Serve with vegetables, tortillas, and condiments.

Serves 6

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Chicken Cordon Bleu

Growing up, my mom always cooked our favorite meal for our birthday.  We were a fairly large family and my dad was in graduate school.  We were dirt poor, but my parents always went out of their way to make our birthday special.  We may not have been able to go out for a fancy dinner, but at least we got our favorite home cooked meal.




My meal of choice?  Chicken Cordon Bleu.  Chicken Cordon Bleu translates from the French.  It means Chicken Blue Ribbon.  Sounds like a winner, right?!  It is.  I don't remember when the first was that I tried Chicken Cordon Bleu, but whatever the occasion, I was hooked.  Chicken - good. Ham - good.  Swiss Cheese - GOOD!  And then the sauce.  The sauce is tart and it just kicks up the flavor of the whole entree.

My biggest piece of advice on this?  Don't be afraid of toothpicks.  They are your friend.  BUT, you may want to keep a tally of how many toothpicks you use so that you make sure they are all pulled out after the chicken is done cooking.  Otherwise, your dinner guest may run into a stray toothpick while trying to eat.  YOUCH!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

 Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 1" cubes Swiss cheese
8 slices ham lunch meat
Poultry Seasoning
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup cornflake crumbs
Toothpicks

Sauce:

1/2 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup lemon juice


Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken breasts in a single layer inside a large ziploc bag.  Using a mallet, pound the chicken flat so that each breast is evenly flat.


2. Lay chicken breast out on cutting board.  Sprinkle with Poultry Seasoning.  Place 2 slices of ham and 1 cube of cheese on top of chicken. Bring edges of chicken up to encase ham and cheese and secure with toothpicks. 


3. Roll each chicken breast in melted butter and then in cornflake crumbs. Place in 8x8 inch pan. Pour remaining butter over the tops of chicken breasts.


4. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until juices run clear. 


5. While chicken is baking, combine sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and lemon juice in small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until sauce just begins to boil. Turn to low heat and cover to keep warm. Serve over chicken.

Serves 4

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Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

I LURVE Indian food.  I had the fortunate opportunity to live in Vancouver, British Columbia for a few months.  There is a large Indian population there, and I worked with a few guys who introduced me to this cuisine.  Oh.My.GOSH!  To die for, in my opinion.  Everything from curries to buttered chicken.  Just amazing.  

So I set out to make my own version of chicken curry, in the slow cooker.  Because in my opinion, the longer you allow a meat or veggie to sit in curry, the better it tastes.  It's true!  In fact, I even prefer to eat this dish the next day more than the day I cook it.  All the flavors just mesh so well - curry, coconut, ginger, cinnamon.  Okay, my mouth is watering.  And I love to serve this curry with Jasmine rice.  So fantastically fragrant and yummy.  

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
5 garlic cloves3 skinless/boneless chicken breasts
1 can (12 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
4 Tbs. curry powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. sugar
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
2 Tbs. lemon juice

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine curry, cinnamon, paprika, ginger, sugar, yogurt, coconut milk, and lemon juice.

2. Add sweet potatoes, onion, and garlic cloves to slow cooker.  Place chicken on top of vegetables.  Pour diced tomatoes over chicken.  Add bay leaves.  Pour in sauce.

3. Cook on low heat for 8 hours, or on high for 5 hours.  Serve with Rice or Couscous.  

Serves 6

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Slow Cooker Tacos Carnitas

I have always loved Mexican food.  Like "wipe the drool off my chin" loved it.  And then the Hubs and I went on a cruise to Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta last year.  Oh.My.Lanta.  My love turned into an obsession.





When we got home, I went on a spree to create as many authentic tasting recipes as I could come up with to imitate what we ate while in Mexico.  One of those dishes was Carnitas.  Carnitas is translated as "little meats."  While this dish doesn't start out as little meats, it ends up that way.  It starts with a nice 2 pound flank steak.  Add a little here and a little there and you end up with a mouth watering entree.

It's full of a variety of flavors, from the wonderful richness of the steak, the spiciness of the rub, the sweetness in the red peppers, it is just fantastic.  And despite the lack of fluids in the cooking process, the meat remains moist and tender.  Add some homemade tortillas and you have yourself a great, authentic Mexican feast.

SLOW COOKER TACOS CARNITAS

Ingredients:

2 lbs. flank steak
Steak Rub (see below)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
Tortillas
Avocado
Cotijas cheese
Cilantro
Lime

Steak Rub:

2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients for steak rub in a small bowl.  Rub over steak and place steak in slow cooker.  Add onion and peppers.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours.

2. Remove meat from slow cooker and shred with a fork.  Serve with tortillas, avocado, cilantro and lime.

Serves 6

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Gumbo

updated 4/30/13

I have been asked, "Why the title 'He Married Me For My Cooking'?"  It's really quite simple.  My husband.

Before we were married, before we even dated, we were really good friends.  Best friends.  And this poor man was living a bachelor's life - eating out EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.  It varied, but Taco Bell and Crown Burger were the most frequented stops for him.

There was one evening, just before Christmas, where I began a long standing tradition for our family - A Southern Night Before Christmas.  I made GUMBO.  I invited the Hubs over for the party, mainly because I knew he had served a mission for our church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  I knew he would appreciate the Gumbo.  And he did.

So I joke, all the time, and say that it was my Gumbo that snagged him, that it's the reason he married me.  And here's my recipe for Mississippi Gulf Coast Gumbo.  Why Mississippi Gulf Coast?  Because that's where I lived, where I tried Gumbo for the first time, and it's LOADED with lovely, big shrimp, a Gulf Coast staple.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Gumbo

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken
2 tsp. chile powder
1 Tbs. poultry seasoning
2 tsp. onion powder
10 oz. bag frozen medium shrimp (already cooked/pink)
1 package andouille sausage
3 Tbs. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion
2 green peppers
2 celery stalks
2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. parsley
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cans chicken broth
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
14 oz. can chile ready diced tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
1 Tbs. hot sauce
1 tsp. file powder
Rice

Directions: 

1. The night before you make the gumbo, cook the whole chicken in the crock pot: Make 5 balls out of aluminum foil and place in crock pot. Place chicken on top of the balls and sprinkle top with chile powder, poultry seasoning, and onion powder. Cook on low for 10 hours. When the chicken is done in the morning, allow to cool and then remove meat from bones and place in a large bowl or ziploc bag.

2. Slice sausage links in half, and then into 1/2 inch pieces. In large skillet, cook sausage until browned. Combine with chicken. Thaw shrimp and remove tails. Combine with sausage and chicken. Refrigerate until ready to add to gumbo.

3. Dice onion, peppers, and celery. Melt 3 Tbs. butter in a large skillet and saute vegetables, garlic, thyme, and parsley until vegetables are tender. Place in medium bowl or ziploc bag and refrigerate until ready to add to gumbo.

4. About 1 hour before you are ready to eat, begin to make gumbo. Make a roux with butter and flour. Whisking constantly, cook 10 minutes or until roux turns brown. DO NOT BURN! It should have a nutty flavor and scent. Add chicken broth. Whisk and simmer 15 minutes.

5. Add vegetables to broth mixture. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer for 30 minutes. Add meats, hot sauce, file, salt & pepper. Simmer 5 minutes and adjust seasoning. Serve over rice.

Serves 10

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