Slow Cooker Sausage and Veggie Soup

1 lb spicy sausage (ground or links, sliced)
8 medium-sized carrots (about 1 pound), sliced
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 medium-sized zucchini (about one cup), chopped
1 medium-sized yellow squash (about one cup), chopped
15 oz can cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups chicken broth
24 oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce

1. Put sausage in bottom of slower cooker.  Add all the other ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the carrots are soft.
2. Break apart sausage and stir.

Freezer Meal Method:
1. Label 1 gallon-sized freezer ziploc bag.
2. To the freezer bag, add pasta sauce, cannellini beans, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, onion, and ground sausage.  Add the ground sausage last, so it's the first ingredient poured into the slow cooker.  Do not add chicken broth to bag; it will be added when you are ready to cook the meal.
3. Remove as much air from the freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer.
4. The night before cooking, move frozen bag to refrigerator to thaw.
5. The morning of cooking, pour contents of bag into slow cooker, add chicken broth, and cook on low for 8 hours or until carrots are soft.
6. Break apart sausage and serve.

Source: No Cook Freezer Meals, by Kelly McNelis (thefamilyfreezer.com)

Try #1 - February 24, 2022
I decided to just make this in the crockpot without freezing first, to see if it was a meal worthy of freezing.  It was!  The soup was delicious, and easy, and hit the spot on a cold February night.  I will definitely try the freezer method on this one.  Some modifications I made: I used Trader Joe's sweet Italian chicken sausage links, sliced (next time I would cut the pieces even smaller) and I used an extra zucchini instead of a yellow squash.  I also used garbanzo beans instead of cannellini.  For the pasta sauce, I used a 15 oz can of Kirkland pasta sauce and then added enough Classico sauce to get up to the 24 oz total.  We served this with Abby's biscuits, but it would also be great with crusty bread.

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used whole milk)
1 pound rigatoni (I used penne)
10 oz frozen baby spinach, thawed and drained well (can substitute 1 or 2 9-oz bags fresh spinach)
12 oz precooked smoked chicken sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick (I used Trader Joe's Garlic Herb Chicken Sausage)
8 oz mozzarella cheese, 4 oz cut into 1/2-inch cubes and 4 ounces shredded (I just used all shredded)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until about a minute less than the al dente package directions. (If using fresh spinach, add it to the pot of boiling water right at the end and cook until wilted.) Drain, and return contents to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Cook for another minute.
3. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, and basil; simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add cream; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I added 1/2 tsp salt.)
4. Add tomato sauce, sausage, spinach, and cubed mozzarella to the pot; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (I didn't add any more seasoning here.) Scoop pasta into lightly greased 9x13-inch pan (or divide evenly between two 8x8-inch pans.) Top with shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.

Make ahead instructions: Prepare recipe until the baking step, and then cover with a double layer of aluminum foil. Freeze. Bake covered for 1 hour and 30 minutes, uncover and bake 30 minutes longer. Alternately, the dish can be prepared and refrigerated (covered) for up to 12 hours before baking. Bake as directed in the recipe, adding an additional 5-10 minutes if needed.

Source: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/baked-pasta-with-chicken-sausage-2/

Try #1 - May 23, 2015
A nice alternative to my normal baked ziti. Everyone (except Lucy, of course) seemed to like it. The biggest difference I made was to layer the shredded mozzarella on the pasta like I would normally do for baked ziti, instead of mixing it in with the other ingredients.  This is mostly because I don't have anything other than shredded mozzarella on hand.

Broccoli and Sausage Pasta

1 lb spicy Italian sausage
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb cavatelli pasta
1 lb frozen broccoli
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a skillet, brown sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain, and reserve.
2. In the same skillet, cook garlic in olive oil until golden.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Three minutes before the end of the cooking time, add broccoli; drain pasta.
4. In a large serving bowl, toss together the sausage, olive oil and garlic, pasta and broccoli, and Parmesan cheese. Season with red pepper flakes.

Source: Bites

Lima Bean Soup

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2013/03/slow-cooker-hearty-lima-bean-soup.html

Sausage and Kale Stew with Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

1 lb sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed and broken into pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup water
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 large russet potatoes (about 1 pound)
1 small bunch kale, stems discarded and leaves torn (about 7 cups)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for serving

1. Combine the sausage, onion, tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, garlic, 1 cup water, and 3/4 tsp each salt and pepper in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.  Nestle potatoes in the liquid and top with the kale.
2. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.  Transfer the potatoes to a medium bowl.  Add the milk, oil, and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper to the bowl and mash.
3. Serve the stew topped with the mashed potatoes.  Drizzle with more olive oil, if desired.

Source: Real Simple magazine, November 2013

Try #1 - February 8, 2014
So, this was not as good as I had hoped.  The kale turned out pretty chewy, and there wasn't as much flavor as I would have liked.  I think I'll stick to some of my other kale and sausage recipes.

Tiny French Beans with Smoked Sausage

2 lbs smoked sausage, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/3 cup minced shallots
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups dried flageolets or other dried white beans (about 1 pound)
2 cups water
1/4 cup minced fresh or 1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 (14-oz) cans chicken broth
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add sausage, saute 5 minutes or until browned.  Remove from pan; place in a 5-qt slow cooker.  Heat oil in pan over medium heat.  Add shallots and garlic; saute 1 minute.
2. Sort and wash beans.  Add beans, shallot mixture, water, thyme, celery seeds, pepper, and chicken broth to cooker.  Cover and cook on HIGH 8 hours or until beans are tender.  Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Note: Soaking beans overnight will yield a much faster cook time.

Source: "Cooking Light Slow Cooker"

Try #1 - April 15, 2013
This was good... and has the potential to be even better.  I used chicken apple sausage from Trader Joe's, which was ok, but next time I will definitely use a more flavorful sausage, probably beef.  Also, I didn't have any chicken broth so I substituted water.  I think the broth would have given it a richer flavor (plus I ended up needing to add some salt).  But the fresh thyme was delicious, and it was a hearty stew, great served with fresh bread.  I soaked the beans overnight and cooked it for about 4 hours on HIGH and then 2 hours on LOW.  I also used only 12 oz instead of 2 lbs of sausage... which I think was plenty.

Hungarian Stoup

2 T olive oil
1 1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage (I used mild)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
8 mushrooms, sliced
1 c. shredded carrots
1 c. lentils
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
4 c. kale, shredded and chopped (can substitute spinach, but kale holds up better)
salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
2 t. paprika
pinch dried rosemary, crushed
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
6 c. chicken broth
Pumpernickel bread for serving

1. Heat pot over med-high heat.  Add olive oil and sausage.  Brown 2-3 minutes.
2. Add garlic, onions, and mushrooms.  Cook a few minutes, then add carrots, lentils, potatoes, salt, pepper, bay leaf, paprika, and rosemary.  Add tomatoes and chicken broth and cover pot.
3. Raise heat to high and bring to a fast boil.  Remove lid, stir in kale and boil until lentils are just tender, about 15 minutes.
4. Serve in shallow bowls and pass bread and butter to dip and mop up "stoup."

Source: My friend Melissa!

Sausage, Potato, and Cabbage Soup

8 oz mild Italian sausage meat
2 small onions, cut into 1-inch thick slices (1 1/2 cups)
6 scallions, trimmed (leaving some green) and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 1/4 cups)
6 cups water
1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
8 oz savoy cabbage, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (4 cups)
1 1/4 tsp salt
Crusty French bread

1. Break the sausage meat into 1-inch pieces and place it in a saucepan over high heat. Saute, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to keep the meat from sticking, for 10 minutes, or until the sausage is well browned.
2. Add the onions and scallions and cook for 1 minutes. Stir in the water, potatoes, cabbage, and salt and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 45 minutes.
3. Serve the soup in bowls with chunks of crusty French bread.

Source: Essential Pepin

Try #1 - January 3, 2012
Nathan really liked this, and the kids ate it too... but I wasn't such a big fan. I think it's because it tasted a little too much like corned beef and cabbage for my liking - a bad experience with that a couple of years ago has a sour taste in my mouth. But, if you're a corned beef and cabbage fan, this soup may be for you!

Hearty Lentil-Sausage Soup

1 lb pork sausage, broken into chunks
2 medium onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 medium parsnips, cut in chunks (optional)
2 cups lentils
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp marjoram
2 cups cooked tomatoes or juice
2 quart water
1 loaf Italian bread
Tabasco sauce

1. Brown sausage in 5 qt. kettle. Remove meat and pour off all but 1/4 cup drippings.
2. Add onions, garlic, and parsnips. Cook 5 minutes or until onions and garlic are tender.
3. Add lentils, salt, marjoram, tomatoes, water, browned sausage. Simmer 30 minutes or until tender.
4. Cut Italian bread in diagonal slices. To serve, place a bread slice in each soup bowl and spoon soup over bread. Pass Tabasco sauce.

Source: More-With-Less

Try #1 - June 19, 2011
So, I made some significant changes to this recipe - I discovered I only had 1 cup of lentils left, not 2, so I added a russet potato. I also used carrots and celery instead of parsnips. I only used about 1/3 lb of sausage - I think this was enough. Because I was had less lentils, I reduced the amount of water to 1 quart. In general though, this dish was well received! It was great with Peasant Bread.

Black-Eyed Pea Soup

1 pound dried black eyed peas
1 pound spicy sausage
6 cups chicken broth
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
4 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Tabasco sauce (to add at the end to taste)

1. Soak your beans overnight. Drain and pick out the undesirables (broken, discolored beans) in the morning.
2. Use a 5 to 6 quart crockpot. This will serve about 8 people. Dice the veggies, and dump them into your crockpot with the pre-soaked beans. Add sliced sausage. Pour in broth, and stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for about 6. Before serving, use a stick blender to smash up about 1 cup of beans. If you don't have a stick blender, scoop out 1 cup of beans, blend them in a traditional blender, and add back to the soup. Don't blend too much---just enough to get the broth thicker and creamy-looking.
4. Ladle into bowls, and add Tabasco sauce to taste.

Source: A Year of Slow Cooking

Try #1 - January 21, 2011
This was delicious! I'll admit I was skeptical, but it was really good. I used beer brats from Trader Joe's, which worked well; a slightly spicier sausage would also have been good. I skipped the blender step, which was fine, and made for less dishes. Nathan really liked it, and thought the flavors were even better the next day. We'll make this again! We served it with corn bread, which was an excellent complement.

Note: PCC sells black-eyed peas in bulk.

Sausage-Sweet Potato Bake

1 pound bulk sausage
2 medium raw sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 medium apples, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water

1. Brown sausage in skillet. Break up large pieces and drain excess fat.
2. In a 2 quart casserole, arrange sweet potatoes, apples, and browned sausage.
3. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and water, and pour over.
4. Cover and bake at 375 for 50-60 minutes, or until potates and apples are tender.

Source: More-with-Less

Try # 1 - August 9, 2010
Soooooooooooooooooooooo good. Definitely an autumn-tasting meal, though, so I will wait until fall to make it again. But soooooooooooooooooo good.

Lentil Stew

From allrecipes.com

7 medium potatoes, chopped
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound Polish sausage, sliced
1 (16 ounce) package lentils
salt and pepper to taste

1.Place the potatoes, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and sausage in a large pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook 15 minutes.
2.Stir lentils into the pot. Add more water if necessary to just cover all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender.

Try #1 (Feb. 9, 2010)
I only had 1/2 pound of lentils, so I used 4 potatoes, a 14 oz can of diced tomoates, and 3/5 pound of Italian sausage. Also added 4 carrots.

Notes:
Very lentil-tasting... next time I would try the Polish kielbasa instead of the Italian sausage. Also, I let it cook for almost 2 hours - it definitely took more than 20 minutes to get the lentils soft.