Sausage and Bean Casserole

Simple and satisfying, this hearty casserole is fast enough to prepare on a busy evening.

Yield
8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Ingredients
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
* 1 (16-ounce) package light smoked turkey sausage (such as Hillshire Farm), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 3 (16-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
* 3 (1-ounce) slices white bread
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley


Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and turkey sausage to pan; sauté for 5 minutes or until browned. Add garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in 2 tablespoons brown sugar, tomato paste, dried thyme, freshly ground black pepper, cannellini beans, and bay leaf. Add ground red pepper, if desired. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place bread in a food processor, and pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 1/2 cups.

Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over bean mixture, and lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until browned. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with parsley.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 205 (14% from fat)
Fat: 3.3g (sat 1.1g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.5g)
Protein: 12.1g
Carbohydrate: 30g
Fiber: 4.4g
Cholesterol: 25mg
Iron: 2.7mg
Sodium: 823mg
Calcium: 77mg

source by: myrecipes.com
recipes by: Lia Huber, Cooking Light
Randy Mayor; Katie Stoddard