Sausage & Sweet Potato Soup

1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed (chicken if possible)

2 onions, diced

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces

kale, chopped and big stems removed

1 T Italian seasoning

5-6 cups chicken broth

Sautee onions in stock pot with a little olive oil, 4-5 minutes.  Add sausage and cook, breaking up, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes.  Add sweet potatoes, broth, and seasoning to stock pot.  Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 7 minutes.

Uncover pot at stir in kale (as much as you like).  Simmer until kale is wilted and sweet potatoes are tender, 5-7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Serve.

Skillet Sausage Egg Roll

Skillet Sausage Egg Roll 

1 lb ground pork or Italian sausage (mild) 

1 head green cabbage (outer layer removed), about 6 cups shredded 

4 cloves garlic, pressed 

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced 

1 Tbsp soy sauce 

2 green onions, chopped 

1 Tbsp sesame oil 

duck sauce, for garnish, optional 

Preheat large skillet over medium heat. Add in pork sausage, and cook thoroughly, crumbling with a wooden spoon. (I drained the excess fat out of the skillet, that's optional). Add in shredded cabbage (or 6 cups of shredded coleslaw mix), garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Cook for several minutes (about 5) until cabbage has softened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add green onions and sesame oil. Stir and serve in bowls. Drizzle with duck sauce or sesame oil, if desired! ENJOY.

CP Sausage Kale Soup with Sweet Potatoes

14 oz. sliced and halved (or diced) smoked sausage (I prefer Butterball Hardwood Smoked Turkey, 13 oz.)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
two diced carrots (about 1 cup)
two stalked celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
olive oil
3 kale leaves, chopped*
two small sweet potatoes, chopped (about 4 cups)*
2 cups fresh or frozen green beans, chopped into 1" pieces* (*I actually found frozen bags of these and dumped them in frozen)
2 TBSP Italian seasoning
pepper to taste

Begin by slicing and browning the smoked sausage in a little olive oil.  Chop the onion and add to the pan with the sausage.  Cut the carrots (my chunks were a little too thick so go thinner) and add.  Finally, chop and add the celery and cook until sausage is browned and onions are cooked.

Meanwhile, add the vegetable broth and two cans of tomatoes (without draining), the rest of the veggies, and the seasonings to your crockpot.  Add in the sausage mix.  Cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 6-8 hours.  (I used a preset that cooks on high for 1 hour and then low for 8, but didn't need to cook it the full 9 hours.)