Cheesy Sausage Slow Cooker Stew Food

SLOW COOKER SAUSAGE, BEAN AND PASTA STEW

Steps:

• Spread the onions over the bottom of a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker and top with the carrots, garlic, white beans, thyme bundle and sausage links. Mix the diced tomatoes with the broth and 3 cups water and pour over the sausages. Add the Parmesan rind if using.
• Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours; the beans will be tender and begin to fall apart. Uncover the slow cooker, remove and discard the thyme bundle and Parmesan rind and transfer the sausage links to a cutting board. Stir the pasta into the stew and continue to cook, covered, until the pasta is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Turn off the heat. Cut the sausages into bite-size pieces and stir into the stew along with the parsley and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with grated Parmesan on the side for sprinkling on top and crusty bread for soaking up the broth.
• Cook's Note: This stew is also a great way to use up leftover cooked pasta. Simply omit the ditalini, reduce the water by 1 cup and stir 1 cup of cooked pasta (cut up if long noodles) into the finished stew along with the sausage pieces.

CHEESY BRAT STEW FOR THE SLOW COOKER

Steps:

• Place the bratwurst, potatoes, minced onion, green beans, red pepper, Cheddar cheese, mushroom soup and water into a slow cooker. Cover, and cook on medium for 3 hours, or until potatoes are fork-tender.

SLOW-COOKER SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Fry the onion and celery in the oil over a low heat until it starts to soften and cook, about 5 mins, then spoon it into the slow cooker. Fry the carrots briefly and add them too.
• Brown the sausages all over in the same frying pan - make sure they get a really good colour because they won't get any browner in the slow cooker. Transfer to the slow cooker and add the sweet potato and tomatoes.
• Put the purée in the frying pan and add 250ml boiling water, swirl everything around to pick up every last bit of flavour, and tip the lot into the slow cooker. Add the herbs, stock cube and some pepper. Don't add salt until the casserole is cooked as the stock can be quite salty. Cook on high for 4 hrs or on low for 8 hrs, then serve or leave to cool and freeze.

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.

SLOW COOKER CHEESY LASAGNA WITH SAUSAGE AND BEEF

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter.
• Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes until onions are soften.
• Add minced sausage and ground beef. Cook until browned, approximately 7 minutes. Drain oil.
• In a large bowl, add marinara sauce, alfredo sauce and canned tomatoes and mix completely.
• Add ground meat mixture to sauce. Add Italian Seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
• In the slow cooker pan, pour a small amount of the sauce mixture along the bottom of the plan.
• Layer the uncooked lasagna noodles across the bottom of the pan. You can make the noodles to adjust them to the size of your pan.
• Spoon ricotta cheese across the lasagna noodles. Add a layer of grated cheeses. Add a layer of sauce mixture.
• Repeat the layering process; lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, grated cheeses, sauce mixture.
• For the top layer, proceed with this order: lasagna noodles, sauce mixture, grated cheeses and sliced mozzarella cheese.
• Cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 4 hours until cheese on top is bubbly.

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.