Southern Style, Economic, Gumbo

Southern Style, Economic, Gumbo8Both my family and my fiancé’s family are from the south. We just love southern foods, especially gumbo! Now the best gumbo has so much in it, it’s a dish you only make about 3-4 times a year because it’s so expensive. I mean, an authentic Louisiana gumbo has large shrimp, crab, crawfish, and Andouille sausage. To feed a family of four or more, you’re coming out of pocket with well over $100. And sometimes, you just don’t have time for that! Ohh, and let’s not forget the roux!

So, when I’m short on time and stingy with cash, I make this excellent economic gumbo. Don’t worry, the taste is amazing and made my fiancé get off the phone to eat (you can rarely catch him off the darn phone)!

To get this party started, you’ll need Zatarian’s Gumbo Mix with Rice or the Zatarain’s Gumbo Base.

 

Southern Style, Economic, Gumbo2Get a bag or two of medium to large shrimp. Allow to thaw in cold water. Once they are defrosted, pull the shell off the tails and discard. Let the shrimp sit in cold water until it’s time to add into the gumbo.

Southern Style, Economic, Gumbo3Boil your Italian sausage and other smoked sausage (who needs Andouille sausage anyway?). Cut and place to the side. Leave the boiled sausage water in the pan.

Southern Style, Economic, Gumbo4Cook up 3-4 chicken breasts. I threw mine in the skillet with a bit of olive oil. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and chicken season salt. Dice it up into bite sized pieces.

Southern Style, Economic, Gumbo5To make it really convenient, add a bag or two of Soup Vegetable blend.

Southern Style, Economic, Gumbo6I also wasn’t going to, but I saw the Bubble Bee Crabmeat was on sale, so I couldn’t resist grabbing 2 cans!

www.isdiva.com
www.isdiva.com
  • Once everything is done, it’s time to start adding your Zatarian’s mix to the stockpot. I used my large pot and had just the right amount of water! Go figure.
  • Let it boil for about 15 minutes, then start adding your sausage and chicken back in.
  • Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then add your vegetables in for another 6-7 minutes.
  • Finally, throw the crabmeat and shrimp in. Mix everything well and it can simmer while the pot is off.

Southern Style, Economic, Gumbo7

Serve it up with oyster crackers and you have an entire meal! I made mine with the Zatarian’s Gumbo Mix with Rice, so I didn’t need to add rice with mine.

How do you make your gumbo?

~ Independent, Smart, Diva! Like this post? Please share with your friends!

Taya

Taya is a professional writer, blogger, and a SAHM. Education, personal finance, and health care are her passions. She is engaged and raises her two teenagers in a Chicago suburb. Taya enjoys curling up with a good book on the weekends, fine dining, and lecturing the kids when possible!

40 thoughts on “Southern Style, Economic, Gumbo

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge

aeea1962a0e816c33be691c5ec86371556b27ea88135ae5fea