Sausage & Bean Casserole

1 cup chopped onion
16 oz light smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/4" thick slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 14-oz can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tbl Splenda brown sugar blend
2 tbl tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 16-oz cans cannellini or other white beans, rinsed & drained
1 bay leaf
3 1-oz slices bread

Preheat oven to 375F.

Spray a Dutch oven with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Add sausage and onion and saute for 5 min. or until browned. Add garlic, saute 2 min. Stir in chicken broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in brown sugar, tomato paste, thyme, pepper, beans, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 min. Remove from heat.

Place bread in a food processor and process into coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over the bean mixture. Spray with cooking spray. Bake 15 min. or until browned. Discard bay leaf.

8 servings