This is one of those recipes that I make when I have some leftover meat and a few potatoes on hand. Within 15-20 minutes, it's all dumped in a pot waiting to simmer so we can dive into it! Even though my daughter doesn't really care for soup, this is her all-time favorite meal and has landed in her hand-written cookbook for when she becomes a wife (only a few short months now!)
I lovingly refer to this dish as my leftover stew! We don't normally have potatoes on hand since it's not a staple for us. so when I have a few left in the bag and there's some type of meat left in the fridge, this meal comes to fruition! I grow a lot of yard-long green beans in my garden and then freeze them so I always have green beans on hand!
Hubby loves this stew with some homemade cornbread slathered in butter and honey .... yum!
Check out the notes at the bottom for some variations to this very flexible recipe. Now go gather these ingredients and let's whip this up!
Sausage and Green Bean Stew
1 bag of frozen green beans
1 lb cooked sausage
1 cup water
1/2 cup milk or cream
1/2 chopped onion
3 medium potatoes, washed and cubed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 t rosemary
For the roux:
4 T butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup milk
Let's make the roux first - melt the butter in a large pot and then add flour and milk stirring vigorously to incorporate. Brown your meat if you haven't done that already. Now just dump the rest of the ingredients in the pot. You may need to add more milk or water depending on how thick you like it. Cook approximately 1 hour on medium (or until potatoes are tender) stirring every 15 minutes or so
NOTES:
* This is a very flexible recipe. I have made this with water only, milk only, lots of cream and sometimes with a splash of half-n-half if that is leftover from my in-laws visit!
* I typically use fresh green beans from our garden or the ones I have blanched and frozen
* I have been known to use a variety of meats from whatever I find in the fridge! Breakfast sausage with a handful of crushed bacon, ground beef, beef sausage or turkey sausage - it all tastes super yummy!
* If you have fresh Rosemary from your garden, that makes it even better!
Now excuse me while I go warm up this stew for tonight's dinner (I think it's even better on day two or three!)
May your blessings be numerous ~ Rhonda
