White Beans and Sausages

Another tough work week and I am back to my crock pot ways.

I'm not sure why but I decided to cook the beans first which made this seemingly simple supper a two day effort. I guess it did add some favor.

I cooked the white beans in water with a splash of olive oil, an unpeeled whole head of garlic (cut in half), and a spring of sage (and plenty of cracked black pepper) and left the crock pot on low for about 12 hours.

The next day, based on a recipe I saw in Bon Appétit, I added the drained beans, 1/2 cup of the bean cooking liquid, a 14 1/2 oz can of diced tomatoes with their liquid, 4 crushed garlic cloves, 1/2 cup of water, 2 sprigs of sage, S&P, and sausages I had browned in a skillet. I left that whole mixture to cook for about 8 hours on low. The big man loves sausage so this dish was a hit with him. the beans were tender and tasty but the real appeal for me is that this will freeze well and I can package it up in single serving sizes for James to heat up while I am out of town.

Franks and beans -- Italian style.