So, I do a lot of cooking. And I get bored really easily with almost everything, which means I’m always trying to come up with new things to cook. There are a couple of issues I always run into, though.

First, my kitchen is small, so I have to be able to prepare most meals with limited counter space. Second, I also work full-time, and there’s that whole writing in my spare time thing, so I don’t usually have a lot of time to cook.

I was up against both obstacles when we came up with this recipe. It was inspiration and we weren’t sure it would work, but in the end it turned out really tasty, and it’s a really hearty stew that makes a meal by itself.

It takes about 5-10 minutes to prep, let it simmer all day in the crock pot, and you have about six servings in eight or so hours.

Ingredients

• 1 16-oz jar of sweet salsa. We use a pineapple salsa, but mango or raspberry works too. Make sure it’s a fruity salsa – we tried it with a restaurant-style mix and it was overpowering.
• 1 can of pinto beans – not drained.
• 1 package chili seasoning mix (I find it in the baking aisle in the grocery store)
• 16 oz chicken broth
• 1/2 lb baby carrots
• 1 lb baby red potatoes
• 4 chicken apple sausages. Like the salsa, you can use any kind, but the apple helps enhance the sweet

Instructions

• Mix the salsa, beans (don’t drain them), chili seasoning, and chicken broth in your slow cooker.
• Add the carrots. You can dice them if you want, but we didn’t and were reallyhappy with the results.
• Quarter the baby potatoes, and add those to the mix
• Slice the sausage and mix it in.
• Stir everything together and let it cook on low for about 8 hours.

Easy Peasy.