Easy Slow Cooker Recipe For Zuppa Toscana

• 1 lb ground Italian sausage (I used mild)
• 4 cups chicken broth (or if you're in a pinch use 4 cups of water with 4 tsp of chicken bouillon)
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/3 cup real bacon bits, plus more for topping
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3cups spinach
• Parmesan cheese, for topping

1. 1. In a pan, over medium high heat brown the ground sausage until well done. Drain off all grease and place sausage in a colander. Rinse the sausage with very hot water to get as much grease off as possible. Add the rinsed sausage to the slow cooker.
2. 2. Add broth, water, onion, potatoes and garlic to the slow cooker.
3. 3. Cover and cook on LOW for about 6 hours, or until potatoes are tender. You can also cook on HIGH for about 3-4 hours.
4. 4. Stir in 1/3 cup bacon bits. Warm the cream and then add it to the slow cooker (to prevent curdling make sure it's warm).
5. 5. Cut up kale into coarse pieces* (I liked my pieces kind of large and chunky but if you like them more indiscernible cut them small) and add to the slow cooker.
6. 6. Ladle into serving bowls and top with extra bacon bits and Parmesan cheese.
7. *I lay a piece of kale on a cutting board and then cut off the leaf portion and discard the rib and stem. It's kind of time consuming but the stem is bitter and tough...you won't want to eat it.

ground italian sausageua, chicken broth, water, onion, sweet potatoes, garlic, bacon bits, heavy whipping cream, spinach, parmesan cheese

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/-easy-slow-cooker-recipe-for-zuppa-toscana-53004671 (may not work)