Sausage Chowder (Favorite of Grandma Linda)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Italian sweet sausage
• 1 large bay leaf                      
• 1 Can (15-16 oz) Red Kidney Beans               
• ¼ tsp. oregano
• 1 Can (16 oz.) stewed tomatoes
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 small onion (chopped)                                 
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• 2 or 3 large potatoes (diced large)                
• ¼ black pepper
• 1 med. Green pepper (diced)                        
• ¼ tsp. thyme
• 1 Stalk celery (chopped)                                 
• ½ tsp. parsley flakes

1. Cook sausage in pan until brown. Pour off fat.

2. Place 4 TBLS oil in a 4 qt. sauce pan. Add chopped onion and sauté until transparent. Mash tomatoes with potato masher and add to sautéed vegetables. Let simmer while you add oregano, parsley, celery, bay leaf, salt, garlic powder, thyme, pepper and 2 cups water. Simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add green pepper, and potatoes. Cut sausage into ½” slices and add to pot with Kidney Beans. Cook until potatoes are done.

I usually brown the sausage and slice it, and put everything in the slow cooker and let cook on low until dinner time (about 8 hrs or so) Makes a good winter dinner along with a salad and good bread – Grandma Linda