The Perfect Fall Meal: Sweet Italian Sausage And Pumpkin Stew

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This unique take on stew is easy, and delicious!  With a chicken broth base, and a wonderful blend of herbs and spices, this stew is loaded with meaty sausage pieces, potatoes, and carrots.  This meal is sure to warm your soul on those chilly fall nights.  This dish will hold a permanent spot on the menu.



Ingredients:

• 5 sweet Italian sausage links
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, pureed 
• 2 garlic cloves
• 32 ounces (2 14.5 ounce cans) of chicken broth
• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin (make sure that it is 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1 large potato, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 celery stalks, cut into pieces
• 1 cup baby carrots, cut into chunks
• 1 can (15.5 ounces) cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• a dash of ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Steps:

Melt the butter over medium heat in a pan, and add the Italian sausage links.

Cut the sausage links into 1" size pieces.

Place the pieces into the pan, and brown on all sides.  It is not necessary to cook the sausage all the way through.

While the sausage pieces are browning, mix the chicken broth, pumpkin, spices, potato pieces, and beans in the slow cooker.

Once the pieces are browned, place them (but reserve the butter in the pan) into the slow cooker.

Place the pan back on the stove, with the heat still on.

Cut the onion into chunks, and put them into your blender.

Add the two garlic cloves to the blender, and puree until everything is in small pieces.

Cut the carrots into pieces.

Cut up the celery.

Add all of the veggies to the pan with the heated butter.

Sautee until fragrant, then add them to the slow cooker.

Tortilla chips go great with this stew!

** A great thing about this stew, it is very adaptable.  If you wanted to add additional vegetables like yellow squash, you could do that.  Want to substitute cubes of chicken in for the Italian sausage?  Go for it!

Enjoy!
   ~ Chef Megs