Kielbasa Stew

Every day I love my Crock-Pot® more and more. I guess I always had this notion that crock-pots were for crazy old ladies with lots of cats or for lazy cooks who didn't know how to cook, but now I see that crock-pots are the perfect kitchen appliance for everyone, including busy-bees like me! Anyhoo, I've created several crock-pot delights, one of which is this kielbasa stew which I like to serve over egg noodles or even bow-tie pasta. It's very important you use the leanest ground beef, and use turkey kielbasa, if you can find it. Don't forget the crusty bread...this is a total comfort food full of carbs! I love it!!!

INGREDIENTS (feeds an army of 4)

• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 lb. Kielbasa sausage, sliced (use turkey kielbasa if you want to cut down on the grease)
• 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained
• 9 ounces pkg. frozen French-cut green beans
• 6 oz. can pitted black olives (whole, drained)
• 1/2 C. red wine, such as Rosso or Chianti (I used 2-buck chuck, Charles Shaw)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, sliced in rings
• 1 green pepper, chopped (I used red bell pepper, instead)
• 1 t. dried basil crushed
• 1 t. dried oregano crushed
• 1/2 t. dried thyme crushed
• 1/4 t. ground black pepper
• 1 lb. pasta of your choice
• parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

In a medium skillet, sauté ground beef until it's lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. **You do not want to add hot food into a cold crock-pot because it may cause the bowl to crack.

Once ground beef is cooled, add it to the crock-pot along with all the ingredients except the pasta and parmesan. Simmer on low for 6-8 hours.

When you are ready to serve, cook pasta according to package directions. Ladle kielbasa stew over pasta in large bowls. Top with parmesan cheese to garnish and serve yourself a nice glass of Chianti.