Recipe: Turkey Gravy Gumbo

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving!  In case you still have some leftovers, here's a great way to use the rest of them up - and it's not your same old "turkey sandwiches or soup" idea. Give your leftovers a Cajun twist on a classic favorite with left over gravy and turkey, combined with Creole flavors for a tasty treat that won't taste like leftovers!

Turkey Gravy Gumbo

Ingredients: 

Shrimp and turkey stock and the Cajun trinity (bell pepper, onion, celery) for gumbo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced green bell pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups leftover turkey gravy
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 cups chopped leftover turkey
1 cup chopped andouille sausage ( or any sausage you like)
6 to 8 cups turkey stock (depending on how thin you want the gumbo)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp cayenne (more or less to taste)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp gumbo file powder (which is powdered sassafras leaves)
1 lb. shrimp, cleaned (optional)
rice for serving

Directions:

• In large soup pot, add onion, celery, and green pepper along with olive oil over medium heat and cook until veggies are tender, but not soft.
• Add garlic to pot and cook for 1 more minute.
• Add the leftover gravy and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the tomatoes, turkey, and sausage stirring to mix, then add enough turkey broth to make gumbo the consistency you want.
• Add seasonings and turn heat down to low; simmer very slowly for 15 minutes.
• Add shrimp (if desired) and let simmer just until shrimp is pink, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Serve in bowls with a scoop of cooked rice on top.

Note: This gumbo doesn't need a roux because the basic idea of this thickening agent, roux, is replaced with the turkey gravy which contains the same ingredients - fat and flour - and it's already made, so it makes dinner easy!