Chicken Sausage Pepper Stew

We had a bunch of leftover ingredients from our dinner party that we needed to use up. One was part of a package of turkey sausages, and the other was some chicken we were supposed to use, but didn’t end up making it. While I was thinking about what to make with it, I turned on Food Network and Rachel Ray was on. She just so happened to be making something with Chicken and Sausages! What a coincidence. As I watched, and as she went along, I was thinking, “I have that, I have that.” It wasn’t until the end that I thought it seemed so simple to add whatever to the pot and would come out as a great dish. I didn’t have everything she used, so I winged it from the first 2 ingredients.

I started thinking about the summer cookouts and how we always made sausages with peppers and onions. I wondered if that would work in stew form. It definitely did! This was a great dish, and it reheated very well the next day too!

The chicken I had was previously seasoned with salt and left in the fridge overnight. We were supposed to use it during the dinner party, however it ended up being forgotten, or we didn’t have time to make it in the end. If you have time to preseason the chicken overnight, go for it. If not, seasoning it right before should be fine. It was also pounded flat, but I don’t think it’s necessary.

Chicken Sausage Pepper Stew

Ingredients:
5 turkey sausages, casings removed
5 pieces chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch strips
2 medium onions roughly chopped
2 bell peppers sliced (I had partial pieces of 3 different colored bell peppers)
2 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:
1. Heat a dutch oven on medium high heat. Add olive oil. Remove the casing and break up the sausage into 1 inch pieces. Place into the pot stir around to brown. Cut the chicken into 1 inch wide pieces. Add to the pot.

2. Cut open the peppers, discard seeds and slice into half inch strips. Roughly slice the onions into thick slices. Add both to the pot. Stir around for a few minutes until chicken turns opaque.

3. Add chicken stock, bay leaf, parsley, thyme and red pepper flakes. Mix well, cover and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf. Serve over rice.