Sausage and Bean Casserole

• YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
• COURSE: Casseroles, Main Dishes

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.