Slow Cooker Smoked Sausage and Bean Stew

One of the best things about playing around with a slow cooker is the way you can literally "throw together" dinner without much effort or planning. I had great intentions of going to the store for a chicken, but the baby was sound asleep and her sisters were busy playing school.

and they weren't arguing.

Instead, I picked up the phone, dialed a friend, and started throwing stuff I already had in the pantry and freezer into the pot.

The only problem?

I was so busy chatting, I forgot to take an ingredients picture. I did jot down what I tossed in, though!

The Ingredients.
serves 6

1 pound smoked sausage, casings removed, and crumbled
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
2 brown potatoes, diced (no need to peel)
1/2 cup dried lima beans (no need to presoak lima beans)
1 tablespoon A-1 steak sauce (the secret ingredient!)
4 cups beef broth

The Directions.

I used a 6-quart slow cooker. My sausage was pretty frozen solid, so while I chopped the vegetables, I soaked the package in a sink full of hot water. When they softened enough to handle, I simply used a knife to cut off the casings, and crumbled the meat into the cooker. Add the lima beans, A-1, and beef broth.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the lima beans and carrots have reached desired tenderness.

Serve with a green salad and rolls. I made drop-biscuits from Pamela's Baking Mix.

The Verdict.

Easy and delicious! My sausage was mild in spices---it provided a smokey flavor infused with sage. If you use spicy sausage, your stew will be spicy. The A-1 gives the broth a fantastic color and a bit of a vinegary twang. mmm. Lima beans swell tremendously while they're cooked; 1/2 cup is plenty.

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Posted by: Stephanie O'Dea | A Year of Slow Cooking at July 19, 2010

Labels: beans, budget friendly, crockpot, gluten free, slow cooker, stew,

What they say about this article

Jules AF7/19/2010
This sounds so delicious. yuum sausage.
the country cook7/19/2010
That sounds absolutely delicious. A1 is truly one of the best secret ingredients out there. - www.delightfulcountrycookin.com
theresa clare7/19/2010
Going to try this this weekend!
slow cooker7/19/2010
It's nice recipe!It sounds tasty! I like that and i like also to make that. I hope that you will update your posts and also keep to giving such nice information about recipes and slow cooker also.Thanks for this.
corners of my life7/20/2010
Looks delicious. I will bookmark it for the return of "Soup Sundays" (when the weather cools again).
Brenda7/20/2010
A couple times you have said you've thown the frozen (whatever) in a sink of hot water, then used it. Exactly what I have always done... until one day I was watching a show and this subject came up!! This person asked how long an ice cube stays an ice cube in a drink? Well, it doesn't!! We all know that! Same as your frozed stuff from the freezer!!! Put it in a sink of cold water and it thaws like an ice cube would melt - surprisinly fast!! And it does not cause the meat (hamburger) to brown like I have had happen in the hot water!! lol!!
Love coming to see what you are up to!!
D7/20/2010
On the sausage for this - is it the fresh type or the fully cooked?

I have TONS of sausage to use up thanks to a coupon deal a while back, but it's mostly fully cooked type. I'm thinking leave the casing on and chop it would work maybe?
Catherine7/21/2010
Stephanie, it's meals like this that make me ADORE the slow cooker :) Thank you, also, for your review on the Kathryn Stockett book, I've just added it to my amazon wish list!
Marianne7/22/2010
Just finished a bowl of this delicious stew! I will definitely be making this again :)

I made your tilapia the other night and served it over bowtie pasta, Yummy!!!!
cribs7/24/2010
My mom's special dish is Bean stew and that is one of my favorite dishes. I am going to suggest to my mom to try to cook this Smoked Sausage and Bean Stew. I know that she can make it perfectly.
gfe--gluten free easily7/26/2010
I know I would love this one. I love lima beans. I think they'd be great with sausage and the other veggies. :-)

Shirley
Tabitha7/27/2010
This was a winner with everyone in the family. I was skeptical about the beans getting tender in the crock pot but they cooked without any problems. It was really quite delicious. The sausage and the A-1 combined to make a delightful flavor. We will be using this recipe again.
Claire7/30/2010
I just got married, just found your blog, and am TOTALLY appreciating it!
Marianne9/03/2010
I have made this twice and it is delicious! The second time I used turkey sausage and it was just as good and much more healthy!