Crockpot Sausage, Beans & Greens

Again I had collard greens in my fridge from my veggie share and I was looking on the internet for something to do with them. I came across a version of this recipe and decided to tweak it a bit and make it my own! It was delicious and definitely a great meal to make ahead of time for those of you with little kids!

1 can beans (I used pinto beans)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder (or minced onion)

1 lb turkey or pork sausage, casing removed

1 bunch collard greens, cut into ribbons and washed

1/2 cup water

1 tsp finely minced garlic

Parmesan cheese for serving

Brown sausage in a sauce pan in a tablespoon or two of olive oil, using a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into pieces. The crockpot removes the color from browned foods, so make sure you get them very brown. Remove the sausage from the pan and add 1/2 cup water and fresh garlic to the pan. Cook 2-3 minutes to deglaze the pan.

Cut stems off collard greens, cut into ribbons crosswise, then cut the long ribbons into 2-3 pieces and rinse. Place collard greens in bottom of crockpot. Put beans along with garlic powder and onion powder in and top with sausage and then pour deglazing liquid in.

Cook on low 4-6 hours or high 2-3 hours or until collard greens are quite soft and flavors are combined. Serve hot with cheese.