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Slow Cooker Smoked Sausage and Bean Stew


One of the best things about playing around with a slow cooker is the way you can literally "throw together" dinner without much effort or planning. I had great intentions of going to the store for a chicken, but the baby was sound asleep and her sisters were busy playing school.

and they weren't arguing.

Instead, I picked up the phone, dialed a friend, and started throwing stuff I already had in the pantry and freezer into the pot.

The only problem?

I was so busy chatting, I forgot to take an ingredients picture. I did jot down what I tossed in, though!

The Ingredients.
serves 6

1 pound smoked sausage, casings removed, and crumbled
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
2 brown potatoes, diced (no need to peel)
1/2 cup dried lima beans (no need to presoak lima beans)
1 tablespoon A-1 steak sauce (the secret ingredient!)
4 cups beef broth

The Directions.

I used a 6-quart slow cooker. My sausage was pretty frozen solid, so while I chopped the vegetables, I soaked the package in a sink full of hot water. When they softened enough to handle, I simply used a knife to cut off the casings, and crumbled the meat into the cooker. Add the lima beans, A-1, and beef broth.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the lima beans and carrots have reached desired tenderness.

Serve with a green salad and rolls. I made drop-biscuits from Pamela's Baking Mix.

The Verdict.

Easy and delicious! My sausage was mild in spices---it provided a smokey flavor infused with sage. If you use spicy sausage, your stew will be spicy. The A-1 gives the broth a fantastic color and a bit of a vinegary twang. mmm. Lima beans swell tremendously while they're cooked; 1/2 cup is plenty.
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