Crockpot Sausage, Beans, and Greens is a healthy and delicious comfort food meal that you’ll make over and over if you like these ingredients!

PIN the Sausage, Beans, and Greens to try it later!

This week I had lots of collard greens in my garden, so I used the slow cooker to make Crockpot Sausage, Beans, and Greens. I’m always a fan of making slow cooker recipes when it’s summer, because slow cookers are such a wonderful way to cook when you don’t want to heat up your house. That’s why I have a big collection of Slow Cooker Summer Dinners on my Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker site!

My neighbor Michelle loves this combination of sausage and beans with healthy greens, and she tells me you can also cook it on the stove if you’re in a hurry or don’t have a crockpot. I used pinto beans, but you could make this with any type of dried beans and any type of sturdy leafy greens like Swiss Chard, Kale, or even Bok Choy could replace the collards if that’s what you have.

Crockpot dishes tend to be not too photogenic, but luckily I had some leftovers to try more than once on the photos, and trust me when I say this picture is a big improvement on the previous one! If you like sausage, dried beans, and greens I bet you’re going to love this tasty dish!

Get new recipes via email:

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

• uncooked dried beans
• Garlic Powder (affiliate link)
• Onion Powder (affiliate link)
• uncooked hot turkey or pork Italian Sausage (see notes)
• olive oil
• large bunch collard greens
• bean cooking liquid (or water plus liquid from canned beans if using canned)
• Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
• Parmesan cheese for serving, if desired

How can you make this recipe lower in carbs?

Beans are high in fiber, so the net carbs of this recipe are possibly not as high as you might imagine. But if you’d like to make it lower in carbs, just double the sausage and greens and use a lot less beans for a lower-carb version that will still be delicious!

Does this Sausage, Beans, and Greens Recipe freeze well?

This slow cooker dish definitely freezes well, so don’t be afraid to double the recipe if you have a large slow cooker.

How to make this Crockpot Sausage, Beans, and Greens:

(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)

1. Soak dried beans overnight, then drain, add fresh water, Garlic Powder (affiliate link), and Onion Powder (affiliate link), and simmer on low heat until beans are soft. Cooking time will depend on how fresh the beans are, but probably 30-45 minutes for most beans. You can also cook the beans in the crockpot or Instant Pot if you prefer.
2. You can use two cans of canned beans, but soaked and cooked dried beans are much better.
3. When beans are almost cooked, brown the sausage well in a non-stick frying pan. (You’ll need to add a little oil for turkey Italian sausage.)
4. Get the sausage as brown as you can, then let cool and cut into slices.
5. Also slice up the collard greens.
6. Put collard greens in the bottom of the crockpot.
7. Deglaze the pan where you cooked the sausage with 1/2 cup bean cooking liquid and fresh garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Put drained cooked beans and sausages in the crockpot on top of the collard greens, then pour over the deglazing liquid from the pan. 
9. Cook on low 4-6 hours or on high 2-3 hours, or until collard greens are quite soft. (If your crockpot is larger than I used, you may need to add a bit more water.)
10. Serve hot, with Parmesan cheese if desired. Anyone who enjoys sausage, beans, and greens will love this combination!

More Healthy Slow Cooker Dinners:

CrockPot Buffalo Chicken Tacos ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pot Roast

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker

Green Chile Shredded Beef Cabbage Bowl

Slow Cooker Chile Verde Recipes ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker

Try This Next Keto Short Rib Chili

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked dried beans of any type, soaked overnight (see notes)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 5 links uncooked hot turkey or pork Italian Sausage (see notes)
• 2 tsp. olive oil, for browning sausage
• 1 large bunch collard greens, cut into ribbons and washed
• 1/2 cup bean cooking liquid (or water plus liquid from canned beans if using canned)
• 1 tsp. finely minced fresh garlic
• Parmesan cheese for serving, if desired

Instructions

1. Put soaked beans in small saucepan with garlic powder, onion powder, and enough water to cover.
2. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until beans are nearly done but still have a little bite. Drain beans, saving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
3. You can also cook the beans in the crockpot or Instant Pot if you prefer. Fresh cooked beans are by far better, but if you forget to soak some, use two cans of kidney beans, white beans, or pinto beans and save 1/2 cup of water when you rinse them.
4. While beans cook, brown sausage well in frying pan, adding a little olive oil for turkey sausage. The crock pot kind of removes the color from browned foods, so let them get very brown.
5. When sausages are nicely browned, remove from pan, cool enough to handle, and cut into slices
6. Cut stems off collard green, cut into ribbons crosswise, then cut the long ribbons into 2-3 pieces and rinse.
7. Place collard greens in bottom of crock pot.
8. Pour 1/2 cup bean cooking liquid into pan where you cooked the sausage, add fresh garlic, and cook 2-3 minutes to deglaze pan.
9. Put beans in crock pot, top with sausage, and pour deglazing liquid from pan over.
10. Cook on low 4-6 hours or on high 2-3 hours, or until collard greens are quite soft and flavors are well-combined.
11. Serve hot, with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

I used my Crock-Pot 3-1/2-Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for this recipe. This freezes well, so if you have a larger slow cooker I would double the recipe.

You could substitute two 15 oz. cans of beans, but freshly-cooked beans are much better! I used My Favorite Turkey Italian Sausage for this recipe.

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 202Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 372mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 14g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Everything in Crockpot Sausage, Beans, and Greens is a wonderfully healthful and low-glycemic food, making this perfect for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. If you want a lower-carb version, use less beans and more sausage and greens.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Slow Cooker Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was created in 2010 when I had lots of collard greens in my garden. It was last updated with more information in 2022.

Share This:

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Source link

Keto Short Rib Chili

Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.

There’s a definite chill in the air. Can you feel it? Well, maybe not in some parts of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is on its way, if not already here.

The best part of fall is the comfort food and there is no food more comforting than this short rib chili. Well, maybe my Shrimp and Bacon Chowder. Or perhaps my keto Cream of Mushroom Soup. And my Buffalo Chicken Soup is also pretty darn spectacular.

But this keto chili recipe definitely makes the short list.

Chili is and always has been one of my favorite foods, because even not very good chili is pretty darn comforting when you’re cold and hungry. How can you go wrong with meat cooked slowly in rich spices and a thick tomato broth? You can’t, that’s all. You can’t go wrong.

And the crazy part is that while I make chili all. the. time, I don’t actually have a good keto chili recipe here on All Day I Dream About Food. Until now, that is.

What makes the best keto chili?

Well, what really makes good chili is a matter of opinion and taste. And probably a few feuds as well. Everyone has their own take on the best way to make chili.

In my experience, a slow simmered chili recipe is best, as it allows the flavors to develop and intensify over time. So don’t be fooled by promises of “fast and easy”. Good chili is usually easy to make but it takes time to cook.

Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb items like beans, though. That goes almost without saying, because beans are high in carbs and many consider them inflammatory. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, since it’s surprisingly high carb.

Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. I like to keep my chili to less than 5g total carbs per serving, so I use a single can of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes help bring out the best flavor.

But the focus of a good keto chili recipe should always be the meat and the spices. Use beef with a high percentage of fat for a satisfying meal, and be generous with the chili, cumin, and garlic.

Can you make keto chili ahead of time?

I find myself wanting to answer this question with a smart ass comment like “Is the pope Catholic?”. Because chili is perhaps the best make ahead meal on the planet.

It’s one of those dishes that seems to actually get better when it’s eaten the next day or even a few days later. And one of the benefits of keto chili is that there are no beans to get mushy as they sit and soften. So it’s just as good or better than the day you made it.

So go ahead and make a huge pot of this short rib chili. This particular recipe serves 10 people. Let it cool to room temperature and then split it up however you see fit. You can do individual servings, or portion it out for your family size.

The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. We froze our leftovers back in May and I just fed my family the second portion about a month ago!

Because it contains acidic ingredients like tomatoes, I recommend storing in glass containers if you have them. If not, good BPA-Free tupperware works too.

Tips for making Short Rib Chili

Short ribs are ideal for comfort food dishes like this, because they are fatty and rich, and become incredibly tender with slow braising.

Always brown the ribs first: This step adds 10 minutes or so, but it’s worth it. Browning the meat in lard or oil helps bring out the best flavor, before the liquids are added. Otherwise, you are essentially just eating stewed meat. Transfer the ribs to a plate while making the rest of the chili.

Sweat the onions and other veggies: While I do keep the onion to a minimum, it definitely helps add flavor. So add the onion and green pepper to the pot and sauté in the oils and fats with a little bit of salt. This will help them release their juices and flavor.

Add the spices into the hot oil: Before adding any liquids into the pot, you want to briefly sauté the garlic, jalapeño, and spices in the hot oil. This enhances and intensifies the flavor.

Adjust the heat to your liking: My husband and I like our chili pretty spicy but our kids have more tender palates. So we keep the heat at a medium level. I always add the seeds from the jalapeño but you can leave them out if you want less spice. You can also leave out the cayenne. Or you can add more jalapeño and cayenne too.

Now add the liquids and the meat: Once the spices and garlic are fragrant, stir in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer before adding the meat.

Slow braise in the oven: You’re looking at a good two to three hours of cooking, but this time is completely inactive. You can be doing lots of other things during this time. Slow braising makes the meat from the short ribs fall off the bone and shred more easily.

Doesn’t this keto short rib chili sound like the perfect comfort food? 

Check out my Keto Soups & Stews cookbook for more delicious comfort food recipes.

Keto Short Rib Chili

Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.

Popular Recipe Cream of Asparagus Soup – Dairy Free Keto Recipe

Print
Pin
Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: keto chili, keto chili recipe, short rib chili

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 428kcal

Ingredients

• 3 lb bone in short ribs
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ cup bacon fat, lard, or other high-heat oil
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 large green pepper chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper minced (leave the seeds in for more heat)
• 2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
• ⅓ cup beef bone broth

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 300F and season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.

• In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt the bacon fat or lard. Once hot, add half the short ribs and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining short ribs. Transfer to the plate.

• Add the onion and pepper to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and cook another minute, until fragrant.

• Stir in the roasted tomatoes and bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add the short ribs back into the pot, cover and transfer to the oven.

• Cook 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs, shred the meat and return the meat to the pot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite chili toppings.

Nutrition Facts

Keto Short Rib Chili

Amount Per Serving (1 serving = about 1 cup)

Calories 428
Calories from Fat 319

% Daily Value*

Fat 35.4g54%

Carbohydrates 4g1%

Fiber 1.2g5%

Protein 22.6g45%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Source link