Making a gumbo ahead of time

When I make large quantities of gumbo for parties, I always do it a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate it until the day needed and then heat it up. Gumbo, red beans, red gravies, etc. are always better a day or two later anyway.

As for making stocks, I buy chicken leg quarters and split breasts when on sale and there are always cut off pieces I use to make the stocks. With leg quarters there is always a bit of the back attached to the end of the thigh and with split breasts, the bones and cartilage is used. I tend to toss most of the skin since it really adds little flavor and lots of grease.

I'll add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, bay leaves and some Worcestershire and soy sauce to the pot and cook it for about 12 hours so it reduces nicely and becomes very rich. Once done cooking, put it in the fridge so it cools and the fat comes to the top and sets. Then it is easy to remove and the stock, if done right should look like jello and not very liquid.

If you have too much, it freezes great in quart freezer bags for later use.

You should get by with 2-3 gallons depending on what else is being served. I will always have rice and potato salad when I make gumbo for that many people.

some argue that you are making 'broth', not 'stock', but I do similar to what you do. I typically use a whole chicken or two, instead of necks, then debone the chicken and reserve the meat and use the liquid as the base for my gumbo.

Stock snobs insist that the bones have to be roasted, before added to the water.

Just use Swanson broth.

Just a thought. When I commit to do a gumbo for a large number of people, I don't wait until the night before to cook it in case I screw something up badly, the roux breaks, etc. If it comes out good, GREAT. If I cock it up, I can take another swing at it. After I get a batch I like, I bring it down to safe temps, it goes in the fridge for a day for it to get that "next day gumbo" flavor, then I transfer it into gallon ziplocs and pop it into the freezer. Then, on serving day, it only takes about an hour to drop it into a pot and reheat it. I start the gumbo reheating (making sure it doesn't burn and scorch before enough of the liquid melts to make sure it won't boil dry) and by the time I've had time to cook 2 or three batches of rice to make sure there's enough rice for everyone, the gumbo's ready to go. Another benefit to this is that you can make several batches if you need to because your pot's not big enough to do it in one go.

Your roux will be fine in the fridge if you'd like to make it ahead of time. Jarred roux just sits on the shelf in the store. It's oil and flour, it's not going to spoil. It may turn rancid if you keep it too long, though, but a few days in the fridge is nothing.

Depends on the airline. We used dry ice

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Im going to my in-laws out of state for the holiday, what is the best way to transport some gumbo I want to make beforehand? secure it in an ice chest and check it? Ive never flown or shipped for, tbh. IT's a short trip, about 1:30hr

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Freeze it.

Either overnight it or check it in a Yeti-style cooler.

Do you live on the southern part of Louisiana ?

Not about that but ok

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Either overnight it or check it in a Yeti-style cooler.

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I make the gumbo ahead, pack the gumbo in a Tupperware container, tape it closed and wrap it in sealed plastic, for extra security during shipping.. bubble wrap it and pack in dry ice and overnight it.
It's expensive but you don't have to deal with toting the gumbo through the airport and baggage claim, etc. It'll be waiting for you when you arrive, and will hopefully be refrigerated by the recipient.
Doing it ahead, allows you to relax and enjoy your time off, instead of cooking and washing pots your whole vacation.