Sausage and Bean Casserole

yield: 8 1-cup servings

1 cup chopped onion
16 oz turkey sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
14 oz low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
3 16-oz cans cannellini beans, rinse and drained
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
3 slices whole wheat bread

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and 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 brown sugar through red pepper. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Place bread in a food processor, and pulse until coarse crumbs measure 1 1/2 cups.
4. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over bean mixture and lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until browned. Discard bay leaf.