What You Need:

1/2 lb Italian pork sausage
1 C fresh carrots, sliced
1 large baking potato, peeled and cubed
1 garlic clove, minced
2 (14 oz) cans beef broth
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 C water
1/2 t Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
1 C zucchini cut julienne style
1/2 C Parmesan cheese, grated

How to Make It:

Place the sausage in a skillet over medium heat.
Brown the sausage about 7 minutes or until no longer pink stirring often for even browning.
Drain the sausage well in a colander and pat excess grease off with a paper towel.
Place the drained sausage into the bottom of a 6 qt. crock pot.
Add in the carrots, potatoes and garlic.
Pour the beef broth into the crock pot and stir to mix with the meat and vegetables.
Add in the chickpeas, diced tomatoes with the juice and the water.
Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning and add the bay leaf.
Stir again to be sure all the ingredients are combined together well.
Cover and cook on low heat for 8 1/2 hours.
Remove the bay leaf and stir in the zucchini.
Cover and continue cooking 25 minutes or until the zucchini is tender.
Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese just before serving.

Serving Size:  6

Tip:

Baking potatoes have low moister and high starch content.  Due to this they work well when cooking for longer periods of time.  Remeber,  don’t add the  zucchini until after the main cooking period so they stay firm.  You can spice it up by using hot Italian sausage.