Bratwurst & Beer Stew

My German roots were showing!  We had some Bratwurst that needed to be used up, so I threw together this great hearty stew...perfect for the dreary day we had.

* 3 lbs. of bratwurst
* 2 large onions, chopped
* 5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
* Two large carrots, chopped
* Bottle of beer (I used a 22 ounce Fat Tire)
* 32 ounces beef broth
* 5 cans white kidney beans (canellini beans) - drained and rinsed
* Three fresh bay leaves or 1 dry bay leaf
* 1 Tbs. dried thyme or 2 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves
* Salt & Pepper to taste

You can use either a crockpot or a stew pot, whichever makes you smile. *Ü*

Brown bratwurst in a pan on medium heat.  When bratwurst is browned, cut it into bite-size pieces.  Add bratwurst to stew pot or crockpot.  Add onions, garlic, thyme, carrots and a few good "glugs" of beer to the pan you browned the bratwurst in.  Cook until garlic and onion are tender (about 5 minutes), stirring frequently.  While the garlic and onion are cooking, you can drain and wash the cans of beans.  Add the flour to the garlic/onion mixture and stir well.  Add the beans, and garlic/onion/beer mixture to the pot with the rest of the beer and the beef broth.  Add the bay leaves.

Cook on the stove at a simmer for about an hour - until the beans are tender.  The crock pot takes about 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low.  Just be sure to check the beans to be sure they are tender before serving.  Add salt & pepper to taste.