Slow Cooker White Beans and Sausage
What could be better than to have dinner waiting for you when you get home? This hearty stew can also be made ahead and frozen.
Equipment
- Slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds smoked turkey sausage (fully cooked)
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 1 small onion
- 1 small green bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 pound dry Great Norther beans
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and chop pepper. Peel and chop onion and finely chop garlic. Slice sausage into 1-inch pieces.
- Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, stirring occasionally until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add sausage to slow cooker.
- Return skillet to stove on medium heat. Add oil, onion, pepper and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
- Transfer onions and garlic to slow cooker.
- Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cook on high for 7-8 hours, until beans are tender and creamy and starting to break down.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot.
Notes
Smart Shopping Tips
- Look for fully cooked turkey sausage near the hot dogs in the market.
- Canned broth can be high in salt, so look for lower sodium varieties.
- Turkey sausage has less unhealthy saturated fat than regular beef or pork varieties.
- Don’t soak the beans ahead of time for this recipe or it will be too watery.
- Pair with cornbread or brown rice to add another food group to your meal.
- Browning the sausage before adding to the slow cooker adds more flavor.
- Dried herbs can be used in place of fresh. Use one teaspoon dry for each tablespoon of fresh.
- Any color of bell peppers can be used. Red, yellow and orange are sweeter than green but cost a little more.
