I got a crock pot for Christmas from Andrew’s mom, and can I just say – Best. Invention. Ever.

I love all things magical – unicorns, Santa Claus, boyfriends who clean up after themselves (yup, got one of those too) – but when that magic involves food creation, it’s a whole new level to me. And here’s the magic of the crock pot – you put in a bunch of easy seemingly random ingredients, turn it on, leave for the day, and come home to a house (or trailer) that smells like your grandma’s kitchen (assuming she’s a good cook) and a hot delicious meal ready and waiting.

For me the crock pot is extra exciting, and I like to think crucial, since I don’t have an oven in the trailer. So it really expands the cooking possibilities immensely.

To break in my new tool, I chose an extremely easy recipe from the Family Circus Slow Cooker Meals cookbook given to me by Andrew’s grandma.

Cajun-Seasoned Vegetarian Gumbo

What you need:
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 package (16 oz) frozen sweet peppers and onions veggie combo
2 cups loose-pack frozen cut okra
2-3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
Hot cooked rice

What you do:
1.) In crock pot, combine black beans, tomatoes with their juices, peppers/ onions, okra, and Cajun seasoning
2.) Cover crock pot and cook on low heat setting for 6-8 hours or high heat setting for 3-4 hours.
3.) Serve over cooked rice.

Seriously, it’s that easy! Andrew was a bit skeptical of the dish since “you just dump a bunch of cans in the pot,” but let me tell you, it turned out great!

I used a brown rice blend that includes barley and seeds, which added a nice texture to the dish.

Go heavy on the Cajun seasoning. And I would recommend enjoying this meal with a nice beer to temper the spice.