compiled by Lauri Clapper
Savor a slower pace and let your Crock-Pot do the work for dinner. You may have much of this on hand already.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage (Spicy is ideal; mild works too.)
- 8 slices bacon, diced
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 T. flour (can substitute cornstarch)
- 32 oz. chicken stock
- 4-5 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into half-inch pieces
- 1 c. heavy cream
- kale, de-stemmed and torn into bite-size pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions
- Add a small amount of oil (approximately 1 T.) and the sausage to a pan. Brown sausage, crumbling as it cooks. Drain well and set aside.
- Cook bacon. This is ideally done in the remaining sausage oil. Once cooked, set aside with sausage. Drain all but 1-2 T. of bacon grease.
- Add onion and garlic to pan with remaining grease and cook until soft, approximately 5 minutes.
- Add sausage and bacon, onion and garlic to Crock-Pot.
- Add peeled potatoes and chicken stock to Crock-Pot. Add additional water to completely cover sausage and potatoes, if necessary.
- Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Potatoes should become soft.
- Whisk heavy cream with flour (or cornstarch) until mixed thoroughly. Add to slow cooker. Add bunches of kale and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Soup will thicken slightly.
- Taste. Season with salt (about 2 t.) and pepper (about 1 t.) and red pepper flakes if you desire.