Chicken and Sausage Stew

Another left over roast chicken re-make success!  I am always trying to think of new things to do with left over roast chicken.  My daughter asks for whole chicken usually once and week and we never finish the whole bird.  There are a ton of things you can do with the remaining chicken but I am always looking for ways to keep it new and tasty.  This includes gumbo like flavors but does not require you to stir a roux for 45 minutes!  My daughter was claiming not to feel well (I think to get out of eating dinner) until she smelled this cooking.  She was upstairs laying down and then I heard her little voice say, "Mom, how much longer until dinner because whatever that is smells really good."

Ingredients:

1/2 of a roasted or rotisserie chicken, skin removed

12 oz fully cooked spicy sausage such as andouille or chorizo, split lengthwise and cut into half moons

2 small onions, chopped 

1 bell pepper, chopped

3-4 stalks of celery, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

Flour

5 cups of chicken stock

1/4 flat leaf parsley, minced

3 green onions (scallions), trimmed and sliced into thin rounds

Oil (vegetable or canola)

Serve with cooked white rice and french bread

Heat a large dutch oven and add about 3 tbsp of oil to the pot and allow the chicken to brown.  Remove the chicken and add in the sausage, stirring until evenly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour.  I didn't specify the amount because the sausage will release oil so you should add the flour in increments until you have created a thick paste.  This time it took 3-1/8 cup adds to get to the right constancy.  If you add too much flour you can always add more oil to thin out.  Cook the flour for 1 minute and then add onion, bell pepper and celery.  Stir until vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.  Add in the garlic and the bay leaves and stir for 3-5 minutes more.  Add in the chicken stock, stirring to combine and bring to a full boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1 hour, uncovered.  Start to cook the rice about a half an hour before the stew is finished cooking.  Add in the parsley and green onions about 2 minutes before the stew has finished it's hour cooking.  Serve over the white rice with nice crusty french bread.  I know it is two starches but you are going to want to dip!