Creole Black Beans and Rice

I love black beans! I love my Crockpot! So, this recipe had to be tried! It was pretty good. I'm going to play with the spices a bit more next time, because I thought the flavor was a bit bland, but overall I think this is a great recipe...super easy too!

Creole-Style Black Beans in the Crockpot

Ingredients:
1 pound low-fat smoked sausage, cut into 1" slices
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
1-1/2 cups chopped green pepper
1-1/2 cups chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1-/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons white pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 bay leaves
1 can (8 oz) no salt added tomato sauce
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
3 cans (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed or 1 bag of dried, soaked overnight

Directions:
Brown sausage in a skillet over medium heat. Drain fat and transfer to crockpot. Combine remaining ingredients with sausage in the crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, or on HIGH for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves before serving. Serve with hot cooked rice. This recipe serves 8.