Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

This is the ultimate in thriftiness and convenience - beans in a slow cooker. The long, slow cooking time coaxes all the flavor from the sausage into the beans for a mild yet full-flavored dish. You can also cook in on low heat for 8 hours.
Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 cup bean mixture, 3/4 cup rice, and 1 tablespoon green onions)
Ingredients

* 3 cups water
* 1 cup dried red kidney beans
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
* 3/4 cup chopped celery
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/2 (14-ounce) package turkey, pork, and beef smoked sausage, thinly sliced (such as Healthy Choice)
* 1 bay leaf
* 5 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
* 1/4 cup chopped green onions

Preparation

Combine first 12 ingredients in an electric slow cooker. Cover with lid; cook on high heat for 5 hours. Discard bay leaf; stir in salt. Serve over rice; sprinkle servings evenly with green onions.
Nutritional Information

Calories:
413 (5% from fat)
Fat:
2.5g (sat 0.7g,mono 0.2g,poly 0.5g)
Protein:
21.1g
Carbohydrate:
76.3g
Fiber:
10.1g
Cholesterol:
18mg
Iron:
6mg
Sodium:
749mg
Calcium:
102mg