Sweet Potato and Sausage Stew

Every fall I look forward to this stew, it is one of my absolute favorites, it's warm and sweet and just plain delicious. The thing I love most about this recipe is how versatile it is. Instead of butter try using all olive oil, or substitute the chicken apple sausage with a nice Italian sausage, use Yukon Golds or a variety of potatoes in place of the sweet potatoes, there are so many ways to adapt this recipe just to your liking. I like to add a little apple juice to complement the sausage, but you could use all water if you prefer. This recipe is fun to switch up and is flexible enough so you can use what you already have on hand. I hope you enjoy this stew as much as I do!

Sweet Potato and Sausage Stew
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
4 chicken and apple sausages ( I like Aidells), cut into 1/2 inch rounds
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 of a cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
salt to taste

Heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted add the red onion and cook 5-7 minuets stirring occasionally. Add the paprika then stir in the sausage and cook until browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, water, apple juice, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick. Bring stew to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 25-35 minutes. Remove bay leaf and cinnamon stick, salt to taste.

Recipe adapted from Apples for Jam, by Tessa Kiros