May 12, 2010

Zesty Sausage Stew

bell peppers, convenience foods, Italian, main dish, Quick, sausage, Stews, stovetop, tomatoes, zucchini

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32 ratings

Prep time: 10 minutes
cooking time 15 to 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Partner: Tomato & Cheese Biscuits

Italian food at our house was more than just spaghetti. It was Grandma’s special stew.

Ingredients

1 pound hot or mild Italian sausage links, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (16-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables, such as onions and green, red and yellow bell peppers
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1 (14 1/2 -ounce) can diced Italian-style tomatoes, undrained
1 (4 1/2-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
4 cloves garlic, minced
Yellow bell pepper strips and fresh basil sprigs, optional for garnish

Directions

1

Cook sausage in large saucepan, covered, over medium to medium-high heat until browned, about 5 minutes; pour off sausage drippings.
2

Add the frozen mixed vegetables, the sliced zucchini, the diced tomatoes with juice, the sliced mushrooms and the garlic to sausage; bring to a boil.
3

Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Cook until juices have thickened slightly and vegetables are tender, about 5 to 10 minutes.
4

Place stew in a large serving bowl. Garnish each serving with yellow bell pepper strips and small fresh basil sprigs, if desired.

Grandma's Secret Trick

Grandma occasionally made a pot of her creamy yellow polenta to serve with this stew. When quick-cooking instant polenta started to appear in the grocery store, she made it more often. Grandma enriched the polenta by substituting chicken broth for the water and stirring in a handful of grated Parmesan cheese just before serving. Sometimes she added a little basil or oregano from her garden.