Sausage Stew

  For my last recipe from the Taste of Home Casseroles I thought I would try something a little different. The recipe for hearty Sausage Stew  from Nellie Lamb looked promising. The recipe looked like it would be more of a soup than a stew and I did do some changing in the recipe so this will be my version of the sausage stew. 

  Bettie and I felt it was a little spicy for us, but Lyle really liked it. Next time, I will use mild Italian sausage instead of medium. 

  This makes up fairly quickly, but allow enough time for the sausage to cook. Taking it out of the casing if that is what you have, will help also. I didn’t this time but will in the future. The pasta could be changed to suit your families taste.

  The recipe as given said it was four servings, but we found it more like six and I cut way back on the beef broth. They are generous servings. Serve with fresh homemade yeast rolls, and you have a filling and satisfying meal.

Sausage Stew

½ pound fresh polish sausage (remove from casing if needed)

½ pound mild to spicy Italian sausage links (remove from casing)

1 small onion chopped

1 medium green pepper chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup beef broth

1 can (14 ½ ounce) diced tomatoes undrained

1 cup apple juice

¼ teaspoon each dried basil and dried oregano

4 ounces uncooked spiral pasta

  In a large saucepan, cook sausage over medium heat until a instant read thermometer reads 160°. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon, slice the sausage, and drain the pan reserving 2 tablespoons to saute the onion, pepper and garlic in.   

  When they are crisp tender add the beef broth, apple juice, and tomatoes with juice. Stir in the dried herbs. Add the sausage and bring to a boil. Add pasta . Reduce heat , cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until pasta is tender.