Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew) For The Freezer

Ever hear of Bigos?  How about Hunter's Stew?  

We are fortunate to have friends from Poland who shared this dish with us one winter's day and we fell in love!

It's a delightful concoction of Meats, Mushrooms & Cabbage that absolutely compliments a platter of Pierogies or Gnocci.  Only problem is that cooking it is an all-day affair and it's certainly not a process you'd like to go through more than once a year - so how about making a HUGE pot and putting portions in the freezer?

If you search online, you'll find tons of different recipes for Bigos.  This recipe is a combination of our friends' recipe and my own additions.

Ingredients (add to the pot in this order):
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Whole Kielbasa, Diced
2 Cups Diced Ham (I had a leftover ham to use)
6 Hot Dogs, Diced
3 Onions, Diced
1 Medium Head of Red Cabbage, Shredded
3 Apples, Diced
3 Cups Fresh Mushrooms, Chopped into quarters
2 Cans Sauerkraut
1 Large Can Crushed Tomatoes
1 Cup Dried Mushrooms (I use dried Portobello or Shitake)
Water - Add enough to cover the ingredients in the pot

Directions:
First, you'll need to get out a LARGE pot.  Add the olive oil and turn the heat on high.  Add the ingredients in the order above, stirring as you go. After you've added the water to cover the ingredients, bring to a boil.

Cover the pot & turn the heat down to medium-low.  Let the stew cook on a low simmer for about 4 hours.  All of the flavors will meld into wonderful Bigos!

I actually don't recommend eating it that first day - if you can hold off.  Let the Bigos cool for at leas t an hour before spooning your portions into freezer bags.

To reheat, simply take it out of the freezer bag and microwave it in a bowl covered with a paper towel for a delicious, easy side!

This recipe makes enough Bigos for my family to have once a month for 10 months!  That would come out to be approximately 30 servings.  I hope you'll try it and enjoy!

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