Slow Cooked Sausage and White Bean Stew

I am completely and madly in love with my slow cooker. Seriously. Coming home to a house that smells wonderful and a meal that smells wonderfuler (I swear that's a word) is fantastic. I am always excited when I am driving home from work or wherever I might be when there is something going in the slow cooker.


I adapted this recipe from All You. The beans make it really filling because they are packed with fiber and there is also a good dose of protein from the sausages.



Sausage and White Bean Stew

Ingredients
Cooking spray
5 lean Italian chicken sausages (hot or sweet)
2/3 cups diced onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 (15 oz) cans white beans (Great Northern), rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 (28) oz can diced tomatoes

Instructions
1. Poke holes in the sausages and place into a large, deep skillet with 1/4 cup water; cover the pot and heat until the sausages are lightly browned on each side and the water has evaporated; the outer skin of the sausages came off when I made it, so discard those; when done, remove to a plate.

2. Spray the same pot with cooking spray, add the onion and garlic and cook about 3 minutes; add beans, tomatoes, thyme and Italian seasoning.

3. Add half of the bean mixture to the slow cooker; layer on the sausages, add the remaining bean mixture; cook on high for 4 hours; make sure to check the stew about 1 1/2 hours into cooking and add water if it looks too dry; when done, thickly cut the sausages and serve.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 324
Fat: 10
Carbohydrates: 32
Fiber: 7
Protein: 27
Sodium: 1187
Points+: 9