Classic cajun gumbo and rice made with leftover Thanksgiving turkey meat.

Turkey and Sausage Gumbo

By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime

Now that Thanksgiving is over you might be facing down mounds of turkey,  so I have for you this favorite recipe for turkey and sausage gumbo, which you can also use cooked chicken in at other times of year.

This recipe also utilizes some of the turkey stock which I posted on Thursday—>>>Turkey Stock.

And the type of sausage I used in this was a smoked sausage with chopped green chillies added, although you can use any type smoked sausage, polish, kielbasa or andouille, etc. The chillies in mine added a bit of spice, although my husband still likes his with the extra splash of tabasco or cayenne pepper sauce.

And although most gumbo recipes  I like use okra in them,  I left  it out of this one for once since some of my friends don’t care for okra at all. This is still very good gumbo even if I usually insist on the okra. I do use the file for flavor, although it also adds to the thickening power in similar ways to something like guar gum, except  with an herbal flavor. But the roux does the heavy lifting in terms of a thickener.

The roux is very easy to make- just keep the heat low so you don’t burn it and beware that when the color starts to turn, it will  do so fairly quickly, so that is not the time to let your attention wander.

This also freezes very well if you are tired of turkey for the moment, and heats up easily later on. I just like to cook the rice up fresh.

Don’t forget to check out the other recipes that use leftovers below. And join me Sunday with Sunday Supper for holiday cocktails. I have a recipe for party punch which makes a nice large batch  (you can also make ahead and keep chilled in the fridge–who likes to hover and work  as bartender at their own soiree? Not me.) It is a red based rum punch which you can also ditch the rum for nonalcoholic and it turns out very close to Hawaiian Punch fruit juicy red.

Turkey and Sausage Gumbo

• Servings: 6
• Time: 45mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chopped cooked turkey (or chicken)
• 14 ounces sliced smoked sausage
• 2 cups celery
• 2 cups onion
• 2 cups green pepper
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp cajun seasoning
• 1-2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 6 cups turkey stock (or chicken stock)
• 2 tsp gumbo file
• cooked rice

Method:

1. Place the oil and flour in  a deep pan and whisk together, forming a roux. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly,  until the roux has darkened to the color of peanut butter.
2. Stir in the salt, pepper, thyme, celery, onions, green  pepper and garlic, cooking until vegetables soften.
3. Add the sausage and cook briefly to brown  lightly.
4. Add the turkey, Cajun seasoning, parsley, turkey stock  and gumbo file.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally, until gumbo thickens and vegetables are cooked through.
6. Serve with hot steamed rice.

From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com

Ideas for Thanksgiving Leftovers

Cranberry-Orange Brie Bites by Books n’ Cooks
Cranberry-Topped Baked Brie by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
(Leftover) Turkey and Cranberry BBQ Sauce Pizza by Kate’s Recipe Box
Prosciutto & Asiago Stuffed Mushrooms by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
Spicy Turkey Quesadillas by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Thanksgiving Leftover Empanadas by The Redhead Baker
Turkey Croquettes by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Turkey Gumbo by Palatable Pastime
Turkey Pot Pie by Making Miracles