Polish Sausage-Lima Bean Stew (Crock Pot)

I got a 'deal' on a 3 lb bag of Polish Sausage. The pantry yielded a 1 lb bag of Baby Lima Beans. The rest just seemed to fall together.

• Ready In: 4 hrs 40 mins
• Serves: 12-14

Ingredients

• 1  lb baby lima beans, sorted,washed,soaked overnight
• 4  cups  chicken stock or 4  cups  vegetable stock
• 4  tablespoons olive oil
• 2  medium onions, chopped
• 2  cloves garlic, minced
• 2  green bell peppers, seeded,deveined,chopped
• 4  stalks celery, chopped
• 3  red potatoes, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 lb  baby carrots, quartered lengthwise
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  crushed  red chili pepper flakes
• 2  lbs Polish sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 cup  potato flakes

Directions

1. Pour stock into crock pot, set on high.
2. Add beans.
3. Heat a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add Oil.
5. Add Onions, Garlic, Bell Peppers, Celery, Red Potatoes, and Baby Carrots.
6. Saute (Stir fry)'til Onions are translucent.
7. Add crushed Red Chiles and Tomato paste, mix well.
8. Add vegetables to crock pot.
9. Reduce heat to low, cook 3 hours.
10. Add Sausage, cook 3/4 hour.
11. Add enough Potato Flakes to thicken as desired.
12. Cook 15 minutes more.
13. Serve with a Peasant Loaf or maybe Cornbread or Cornsticks.