Slow Cooker Hearty Cheddar Topped Sausage Stew Recipes

ONE-POT SAUSAGE STEW

Steps:

• In a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and sear on all sides until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.
• Add the rest of the olive oil to the pot, turn the heat down to medium and add in the onions, carrots and celery. Add a pinch of salt, which will help draw some moisture out of the vegetables and keep them from browning too much. Cook gently, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes, being sure to scrape up all the caramelized sausage bits on the bottom of the pot.
• Add the garlic and rosemary and continue to sweat until the garlic is fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes more. If the vegetables begin to brown, turn down the heat.
• Add in the sausages, potatoes and plum tomatoes, breaking apart the tomatoes with a wooden spoon or your hands as they go into the pot. Fill the empty tomato can halfway with water, then add this water to the pot. Stir well and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through, adding a few tablespoons of water if the sauce begins to look dry. Add in the butter beans and stir gently so as not to break up the beans. Taste the casserole and add salt, pepper, sugar and red pepper flakes to taste.
• Just before serving, add in the spinach and stir until just wilted. Plate into individual bowls and garnish with basil and lemon zest. Serve with the Rosemary and Cheddar Soda Breads.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
• Sift the flours, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. Stir in the Cheddar and chopped rosemary. Make a well in the middle. Add the buttermilk and, using a fork, mix until just combined. This will give you a soft, sticky dough, which makes a nice moist loaf. With floured hands, divide the dough into 4, scrape each one onto the prepared baking sheet and pat into a light round. Using a chef's knife, deeply score each soda bread with a cross on top (this will allow the heat to penetrate the center of the dough).
• Bake until the breads are dark golden all over and sound hollow when you tap the bottoms, about 30 minutes.

SPICY SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE STEW

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted and the meat is well coated, about 2 minutes. Add the cayenne, garlic, bell peppers and onion and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, clam juice and 4 cups water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Bring the stew to a simmer and continue to cook, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until the stew is thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and cook until opaque, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Season with salt.
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HEARTY SAUSAGE STEW

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook sausages over medium heat until a thermometer reads 160°. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. Cut sausages into 1/2-inch slices; set aside., In the drippings, saute onion and pepper until crisp-tender. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, apple juice, parsley, garlic, basil, oregano and sausages. Bring to a boil; add pasta. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until pasta is tender., Serve immediately or cool and freeze in freezer containers for up to 3 months. , To use frozen stew: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Transfer to a saucepan; add water to thin if necessary. Cover and cook over medium heat until hot and bubbly, stirring occasionally.

CATALAN CHICKPEA AND SAUSAGE STEW

Steps:

• Combine the drained chickpeas with enough water to cover by 2 inches in a large soup pot or Dutch oven, add the bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and skim off any foam. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add salt to taste (about a tablespoon), and simmer for another hour, until tender. Drain over a bowl and retain 2 cups of the cooking liquid. Set aside.
• While the beans are cooking, heat a large, heavy casserole over medium-high heat and when it is hot, add the sausages. Brown the sausages on all sides and remove from the heat. Slice and set aside.
• Add the olive oil to the pan, turn the heat down to medium, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, and add the diced pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onion and pepper are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for a minute or two, until fragrant, and stir in the tomatoes, sliced sausage, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly. Add the chickpeas, dried cayenne or chili flakes, and the 2 cups of their liquid that you set aside. Bring back to a simmer, stir together, turn the heat to very low, cover and cook gently for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the beans are very tender and the broth fragrant. Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve.

SLOW-COOKER BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Fry the onion and celery in 1 tbsp oil over a low heat until they start to soften - about 5 mins. Add the carrots, bay and thyme, fry for 2 mins, stir in the purée and Worcestershire sauce, add 600ml boiling water, stir and tip everything into a slow cooker. Crumble over the stock cubes or add the stock pots and stir, then season with pepper (don't add salt as the stock may be salty).
• Clean out the frying pan and fry the beef in the remaining oil in batches until it is well browned, then tip each batch into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hrs, or on high for 4 hrs.
• If you want to thicken the gravy, mix the cornflour with a splash of cold water to make a paste, then stir in 2 tbsp of the liquid from the slow cooker. Tip back into the slow cooker, stir and cook for a further 30 mins on high. Stir in the parsley and season again to taste. Serve with mash, if you like. Leave to cool before freezing.

SLOW COOKER VEGETABLE STEW WITH CHEDDAR DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Set the slow cooker to low. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan and fry the carrots for 5 mins until just golden, then tip into the slow cooker.
• Heat the remaining oil in the pan and fry the leeks with a pinch of salt for 5 mins until soft. Add the garlic and stir in the flour. Gradually add the stock, stirring, until the flour has dissolved and there are no lumps. Bring to the boil, then tip into the slow cooker. Add the courgettes, beans and herbs, topping up with water to cover the veg, if needed. Cover and cook for 4 hrs.
• To make the dumplings, tip the flour into a bowl and stir in the suet or butter until evenly distributed. Add the cheese, parsley, ½ tsp cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt. Mix in 3-4 tbsp cold water with your hands to make a soft, slightly sticky dough (add a little more water if needed). Divide into six and roll into balls.
• Add the crème fraîche, mustard, broad beans or peas and spinach to the slow cooker and turn it to high. Arrange the dumplings over the stew, cover and cook for 1-2 hrs more until firm and doubled in size. Scatter with parsley and serve. Will keep for up to three days in the fridge or in the freezer for up to three months.

CHEESY SAUSAGE SLOW-COOKER STEW

Steps:

• Place kielbasa, vegetables and soup in slow cooker. Stir in water.
• Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours (or on HIGH for 4 hours).
• Turn off slow cooker. Add VELVEETA; stir until completely melted.