BBQ Baked Beans & Sausage

From EatingWell: July/August 2008 — Subscribe Now!

Here we turn baked beans into an easy main dish by adding chicken sausage and collard greens. Serve with: Coleslaw and cornbread.

READER'S COMMENT:

"I wasn't excited to cook this, but I am looking for recipes that get new vegetables (like collards) into my family's diet. It was surprisingly delicious. I carmelized the onions alone, because I don't like the bite of crunchy onions. I...

4 servings, about 11/3 cups each

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce, (see Shopping Tip)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon molasses
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups chopped collard greens, (about 10 ounces), tough stems removed
9 ounces cooked chicken sausage links, (about 3 links), halved lengthwise and sliced
2 15-ounce cans great northern or navy beans, rinsed (see Note)

Preparation

Whisk barbecue sauce, water, tomato paste, molasses, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and collard greens and cook, stirring occasionally, until the collards are wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sausage and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes more.
Reduce heat to medium-low; add beans and the sauce mixture to the pan. Gently stir to combine, cover and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Tips & Notes

Shopping tip: Check the sodium of your favorite barbecue sauce—some can be quite high. This recipe was developed with a sauce containing 240 mg sodium per 2-tablespoon serving.
Note: While we love the convenience of canned beans, they tend to be high in sodium. Give them a good rinse before adding to a recipe to rid them of some of their sodium (up to 35 percent) or opt for low-sodium or no-salt-added varieties. (These recipes are analyzed with rinsed, regular canned beans.) Or, if you have the time, cook your own beans from scratch.

Nutrition

Per serving: 444 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 45 mg cholesterol; 66 g carbohydrates; 28 g protein; 14 g fiber; 653 mg sodium; 987 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Folate (61% daily value), Vitamin A (50% dv), Vitamin C (35% dv), Magnesium (33% dv), Iron (23% dv).

3 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 3 starch , 2 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 2 plant-based protein