How to Make an Easy Sausage Stew

Yummy and budget friendly crock pot soup

Another Sunday. Another day trying to figure out what to make after a long weekend on the beach, seeing friends, and having kids run rampant. Also, trying to stay on a budget while doing backyard renovations. So what options do I have? Oh yes, the crock pot and whatever is in my fridge and pantry. And here’s what I came up with to make an amazingly easy sausage stew.

• 1 package of smoked apple chardonnay chicken sausages from Trader Joe’s

• ½ a can of low sodium green beans

• 1 can of peeled white baby potatoes

• 1 can of minestrone soup

• ½ carton of low sodium chicken broth (16 oz total)

• Some carrots - however many you’d like

• Salt for flavor

• Slow cooker liner - you cannot forget the liner!

Once my crockpot was lined, I sliced up my chicken sausage and threw it in. No cooking is required as these babies are already cooked. Then I threw in my remaining ingredients, put the lid on, and walked away. I let the stew cook for about 5 hours on low just to help the flavor set into everything. Now I let the minestrone soup do a lot of the work on flavoring, and added a little salt at the end to bring it all out.

Once the 5 hours were up, it was time to eat! Voila, an easy meal just by looking at what you already have in your pantry and fridge. And bonus, I had plenty of leftovers after serving a hungry family!