Name: Slow-Cooker Braised Chicken Sausages With White Bean Ragout
Total time: 4 h
Ingredients: 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans , rinsed; 1/4 cup chicken broth; 1/4 cup dry white wine; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 1 sprig fresh rosemary; Salt and pepper; 1½ pounds hot or sweet Italian chicken sausage; 8 ounces cherry tomatoes; 4 ounces (4 cups) baby spinach; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Why This Recipe Works

For the main components of the dish, we chose delicately flavored cannellini beans and Italian chicken sausage, which was full of spices like fennel and caraway that would flavor the dish. We combined broth, wine, minced garlic, and rosemary for a flavorful cooking liquid that would season the beans as they cooked. Cherry tomatoes added a pop of bright color and fresh flavor. Once the sausage was cooked and the beans were tender, we mashed a portion of the beans and tomatoes together to help thicken the ragout. Stirring in some baby spinach right before serving brightened up this comforting dish.

Before You Begin

Italian turkey sausage can be substituted for the chicken sausage.

Instructions

Combine beans, broth, wine, garlic, rosemary sprig, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in slow cooker. Nestle sausage into slow cooker and top with tomatoes. Cover and cook until sausage is tender, 3 to 4 hours on low.

Transfer sausage to serving dish and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Discard rosemary sprig. Transfer 1 cup bean-tomato mixture to bowl and mash with potato masher until mostly smooth.

Stir spinach, 1 handful at a time, and mashed bean mixture into slow cooker and let sit until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve sausages with ragout.