Hearty Lentil Stew

I have never eaten lentils much less cooked them. My MIL had a package in the pantry though she had never eaten any either. So today I decided to give them a try. The following is what I came up with and we really, REALLY like them a lot! This is the first recipe I have submitted so PLEASE be gentle.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 10
• Yields: 4 quarts

Ingredients

• 1  lb dry lentils
• 6  cups water
• 1  cup ham, cubed (I used leftovers)
• 4  hot Italian sausages
• 3  russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 1  medium sweet pepper, chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1  bay leaf (Turkish)

Directions

1. Wash lentils.
2. In a large pot, put together the water, ham, sausage, and lentils.
3. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
4. Turn heat down to medium and cook for 30 minutes or until tender.
5. Remove sausage and cut into bite size pieces.
6. Return sausage to the pot.
7. Add potatoes, onion, garlic, sweet pepper and bayleaf.
8. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
9. Remove bayleaf and serve hot.
10. *Note* I haven't tried this with rice yet but I imagine it will be delicious served on top of rice.