dad's simple gumbo

Twice a year, we have a Bills Khakis Trunk Show at Culwell & Son, and it's always a fun event. To make things even better, we've had a DIY hotdog stand at each one. Munch on a hotdog while picking out clothes — sounds easy & enjoyable to me! But hotdogs do get old... and boring, so we figured, why not switch it up? So we did.

My dad makes a fabulous gumbo. It's packed with sausage, shredded chicken and okra and for all those seafood lovers, shrimp is an optional garnish. I always tell people that this is my dad's homemade gumbo, but let's be honest, homemade is a loosely used term in this recipe. It's more like dressed up gumbo. It's definitely not store bought, and it's definitely not all homemade either, but when it tastes this good, who cares!? Plus, it's simple, I mean really really simple!


Anytime you need to entertain a large group, this is perfect! My mom isn't wild about those shrimp, so we put them in a bowl next to the gumbo, so those who want shrimp can add them — making it simple to please just about anyone. Serve it with some brown or white rice and you've got an awesome meal with almost no effort. This gumbo freezes well, so we typically make really large batches so we can eat it anytime!

Sausage & Chicken Gumbo

• 1 gallon of Big Shucks plain gumbo (any other plain gumbo would work)
• 2 lbs. shredded chicken breast
• 2 lbs. pre-cooked sausage, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 bag frozen okra
• 1 lb. peeled, deveined baby shrimp, optional

To shred the chicken, place it in a large pot and cover it with chicken stock and simmer on the lowest temp until it shreds easily. Drain excess liquid off and add to the gumbo along with the sausage, okra and shrimp, if desired. Simmer for an hour to let flavors meld. Serve hot over rice!