Lentil and Sausage Stew

I think I'm going to start a series.

In talking with friends and family it's becoming more and more obvious that we are going to be needing recipes that are for meals that are cheap, easy, and filling. Grocery prices are rising, some items are becoming harder to find.. so, I'm starting a series of cheap, easy, filling recipes with this one.

Years ago I was laid off from my job when the company relocated and I couldn't move with them. I was sure I would find a similarly-paying job soon, but that didn't turn out to be the case. I ran out of my severance pay after a few months, and unemployment compensation didn't pay enough to pay my mortgage, much less anything else. I found another job eventually, but it didn't pay anywhere near as much and so keeping a roof over my head became my main focus. Groceries, however, began to fall further and further down the priority list.

I found a much better paying job, eventually, but there was a period of almost a year where all I could afford, for the most part, was a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and a dozen eggs at a time. So, that's what I had to eat. Once I got established in my new job, though, I decided that I wasn't ever going to let myself be put in that situation again. I began stocking my pantry with shelf-stable, cheap yet filling items that I could keep on hand so that, if a situation happened where I wasn't able to buy groceries, I would still have food. So, that's where I'm coming from for this series and to give ideas as to how to make our foodstuffs stretch in these times when prices are rising but wages, for the most part, aren't. So, all of that to say..

Do you like lentils? If you say you don't, have you actually tried them?

I love lentils. They are easy to cook, they take on the flavor of whatever they are cooked with, and they are both cheap and filling. I keep several packages (honestly, more than several) in my pantry along with packages of beans and rice, and I use them regularly. This recipe is one that I have made several times and is one of my favorites. It's easy, it's cheap, it's filling, and it makes A LOT of food.

Here's what you are going to need -

• 1 package Hurst's Garlic & Herb Lentils, rinsed and drained and the seasoning packet put to the side

• 1 lb Polska kielbasa (polish sausage), sliced into 1/2" pieces

• 1 yellow onion, chopped

• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped

• 3 celery stalks, peeled and chopped

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 8 cups of chicken broth (you could use what you made here!)

Start with a minimum 3 quart pot with a lid (I like this one.) Heat the oil in the bottom of the pot and, once hot and shimmering, add the sausage and saute until the pieces just begin to brown. Add the carrots, onion, and celery to the pot and saute until the vegetables begin to soften. Then add the minced garlic and saute for about a minute until it becomes fragrant.

Add the lentils and the contents of the seasoning packet to the pot along with the 8 cups of chicken broth, stir well, and then bring to a boil. As soon as it begins to boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

That's it. Ladle it into a bowl and tuck into a delicious, flavorful, filling, and cheap dish.

And then add a couple packages of Hurst's Garlic & Herb Lentils to your pantry so that you can make it again.