Baked White Beans and Sausage With Sage Recipe (2024)

Hi All! Just popping in to say that you should use a 9-by-13 baking dish or similar for this (not a sheet pan). You want a deeper, narrower dish for this recipe so you end up with lots of creamy, brothy beans.

Nothing'll destroy a kids health like 3 tablespoons of unsweetened apple juice!

It's unsweetened apple juice, and it creates a salty-sweet flavor profile that works for palates of all ages (this recipe actually came from a cookbook for adults). It's the same reason we like pork and apples together. If you want to leave it out, however, go to it! I'm sure it would be delicious that way as well.

At the risk of annoying the recipe-adherence police, here is my stove-top riff off this recipe that turned out great. Made soffrito of onions and carrots; put aside. Sautéed chopped apple; put aside. Braised Italian sausages adding white wine and sliced it afterwards. In a larger pan, simmered shredded cabbage, chard and spinach (leftover greens) in chicken and bean broth. Added beans (homemade) and other ingredients w/ sage. Added half cup of cream and simmered to thicken. Wonderful!

I had to make a couple of substitutions. I used applesauce mixed with chicken broth and threw in a Bay leaf because I didn’t have sage. During the last few minutes of cooking I piled a bunch of very roughly chopped kale (tossed with olive oil) on top of everything which got both soft and crispy. Squeezing the roasted garlic into the finished dish really made it. Served some grated parmesan on top. Super easy, flavorful meal.

That's correct! The recipe works with peeled or unpeeled garlic, but in the skins, they roast into creamy perfection that you can squeeze out onto crusty bread. I'll make that note in the topnote. Thanks!

Going to do white wine instead of unsweetened apple juice (where in the heck does one find unsweetened apple juice?)

I used bratwurst instead of Italian sausage and it was wonderful. I do want to add one note. I doubled the recipe for a large family dinner but still used only one 9x13 baking dish. Mistake. Too much liquid to make the beans saucy. I pureed some of the beans to thicken the sauce though. Next time I'll use two pans to give more room for reduction. Excellent recipe. Will definitely make it again

The recipe calls for 2 cloves of garlic but neglects to mention that before serving, squeeze the garlic out of the skins and mash it into the beans. Also, instead of just 2 cloves, try 3 or 4.

I made this straight up, except I used Grest Northern beans as I couldn't find cannellini beans. It was good, and the fresh sage was a nice addition, but next time I think I will add sliced onions to cook at the beginning. 7 year old and spouse both liked it too.

Adding apple juice adds sugar and cultivates the taste for sweetness in children. Why would we, knowing what we know about the public health crisis? Why not just add chicken broth or vegetable broth?

That was the stylist's addition for color. ( : It's a simple braised kale. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9058-braised-kale

I’m just realizing this recipe must have been written for kids because it tells you to do things like make sure to wear your oven mitts, lol!

Rosemary is beautiful with beans also

The recipe was originally published in a children's cookbook.

Absolutely loved this. I didn't have any sage but it doesn't matter. I used unsweetened apple sauce (a bit more than 1/2 c.) and a splash of chicken stock. I steamed some kale with it and made some breadsticks. Topped the kale with parmesan and some hot sauce. Totally great!

Didn’t have apple juice so I substituted in mead which I keep on hand. Mixture was watery at the end, so I took the opportunity to add in lacinato kale and throw the pan back in for another ~8 minutes at 400 degrees. Came out perfect and the alcohol cooked out, leaving a bright and buttery taste. Even better I can have the mead alongside my meal. Followed the rest of the recipe exactly. 10/10 will make again.

This recipe is so close... Double the sage & garlic (t's not clear in the recipe, but make sure to squeeze the roast garlic into your beans before you stir at the end). Sausage needs less cooking time, and the beans need more liquid (I'd say at least 1 C and a 1/4). You could just add more apple juice, wine like someone mentioned, or even broth. I also massaged a head of torn kale (stems removed) with a little olive oil & salt, adding it to the baking sheet for the last 5min.

I don't usually make substitutions the first time around, but I was cooking for a vegetarian who can't eat garlic. Browned fat vegetarian sausages on the stovetop, using about a half-cup of garlic oil. Removed the sausages, deglazed the pan with about half a cup of hard apple cider, then stirred in a handful of sage leaves (more than the small amount called for). I added the beans and stirred them into the sauce. I let some of the beans caramelize. Put the sausage back in the pan and serve.

Very easy and tasty dinner! I used about 10 cloves garlic, added minced leeks for about 5 min before adding the beans and liquid, subbed rosemary for the sage, and topped it with a bunch of chopped kale (salted and drizzled with oil) for the last 10 minutes of baking. My bean-wary family ate it all up!

Is it possible to use apple cider vinegar with a dash of sugar and water instead of unsweetened apple juice? Making it now, so I guess I’ll find out.

My husband and I thought that this was delicious but a little dry. Followed the recipe exactly. Perhaps instructions as to which rack position would have been helpful. I used the second up from the bottom.

For a real one-pot meal, add sautéed mushrooms and raw baby spinach at the end, and put the dish back into the oven until the spinach wilts. Stir and serve.

Love this one-pan meal. I added more garlic (4-5 cloves) and one thinly sliced apple during the last 10 minutes. As for unsweetened apple juice, I keep a bunch of organic kid’s apple juice boxes in the pantry for occasions like this. Had enough leftover for hubby and me so I am going to add some small roasted potatoes and onions to the mix for round two.

I am sure peeled apple slices would work fine as a substitute for those who are worried about the sugar crash in their kids, personally, I don't think it would hurt anyone. Going to try this recipe tomorrow and tweak it to be vegan. (maybe use those beyond sausages)

Nice, very easy recipe. I used chicken italian sausage and a mix of garbanzos and canellini out of necessity. Also homemade bone broth instead of the apple juice. I'm not big into sweet and trying to cut down on sugars. The main changes I'd make next time are a lot more sage, more garlic, incorporate the garlic, I wound up using it as separate roasted garlic since the recipe wasn't clear what to do with it.

Didn’t have apple juice in the fridge, but did have ketchup! The ketchup mixed with some apple cider vinegar kept that sweetness element in there.

Double this recipe

I couldn’t find unsweetened apple juice, so I simmered the beans (covered) with a cut up apple and 3/4 cup water and then dumped it all in! Served over a toasted baguette! Yum😊

I added all those other good things (apples, onions, carrots) and did it on the stove top in a nice deep cast iron stew pot. (I didn't have cabbage, or other cooking greens,and didn't try the addition of cream,. so another time, another variant.) Eady, delivious, and just right for a Toronto winter night.