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This is a guest post from Linda of Apron Strings & Other Things.

You are raising a family, chauffeuring your children here and there, keeping house and maybe even educating your children at home. Crazy, but with everything going on, everyone still wants to eat! Gotta get the meal on the table, too. What you need are tools in your life that streamline your days and help you feed that family of yours. Enter the slow cooker! The crock pot is a servant of highest standing in our household.

I plan at least one recipe each week for the crockpot, sometimes more. It’s so easy to layer in the ingredients, place the lid and flip the switch. And don’t forget to plug it in – this is important, very important. Ask me how I know!

So back to my servant, the slow cooker. She’s always on stand-by, ready to work at a moment’s notice. While many recipes are terrific for cold winter days – soups and stews and other such comfort foods – the crock pot is also a handy helper all year round, even during the rush rush rush days of summer when we are running to the beach or sporting events, birthday parties and shopping sprees. It’s wonderful to come home after a busy day and enter to the aroma of dinner cooking.

A favorite recipe in our home is Cheesy Potatoes and Sausage. The ingredients are basic so we almost always have them on hand. This is also a recipe the children can easily prep and start up with little supervision. It’s filling and yummy – a win-win!

Step 1: Gather Ingredients.

1 pound polish sausage, sliced
8 medium red potatoes, diced
1 to 2 cups cheese, shredded – colby jack, cheddar, american, etc.
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or the equivalent if you make your own)
1 cup milk
Salt, pepper, seasonings to taste (garlic salt, onion powder, etc)

Step 2: Place sausages on bottom of crock. Spread as evenly as possible.

Setp 3: Spread potatoes on top of sausages.

Step 4: Sprinkle healthy dose of seasonings over top of potatoes.

Step 5: Spread shredded cheese all over everything – yum! cheese makes everything better, don’t you think?

Step 6: Spread creamed soup all around and Pour 1 cup of milk over it all.

Step 7: Cover the crock, plug it in, set to Low. Cook 6 – 8 hours. You can shorten cooking time to 4 – 6 hours if you use the high setting, and if you cut your potatoes into smaller pieces.

Step 8: Add your favorite sides and SERVE IT UP!

Variations on the theme:

Use breakfast sausage instead of polish sausage, or smoked sausages. Choose your favorite or be adventurous!
Peel potatoes if you prefer. They don’t have to be red – russet or gold or even blue!
Substitute frozen potatoes or hashbrowns – thaw a bit and cook for 4 hours on low.
Add more cheese! or substitute a can of cheddar cheese soup for a more creamy texture.
If mixture seems dry, add a little water or chicken broth or extra milk with the milk and soup step.
Add taco seasoning or italian seasoning for a more ethnic taste.
Add onions, peppers or other veggies for an all-in-one meal.
Unexpected company? Add more potatoes! increase the liquid a bit – easy to stretch this recipe.

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