Sausage & Beans with Rice

We had this for lunch yesterday and then I took the leftovers to work last night. This was so good! And pretty healthy, I think! Even though it has a couple of unhealthy things in it (you'll see) you cannot take away what is healthy about it, namely the beans and rice part. I am very pleased with this recipe, it is definitely a keeper. It is from Simple & Delicious Sept/Oct 2008.

Sausage & Beans with Rice
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (I left this out because Sam has been so anti-green-pepper the last few times, he doesn't even want to pick them out he just wants to not eat it at all. So I left them out. Stay tuned to see if this made a difference in him eating this nor not)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices (this is kielbasa. I used light kielbasa, which I don't usually do, but I thought with so many other flavors I wouldn't really notice that it was "light" and I was right)
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 1/2 oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup instant brown rice (Uncle Ben's has an instant brown rice which is healthier than the Minute Rice version...by the box it takes 10 minutes instead of 5, but it is more nutritious and more like real rice)
1 cup vegetable broth (they do not have this at Wal-mart, I had to get it at Hannaford)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tbsp corn syrup (see? a little unhealthy)
1 tbsp dijon mustard (I realize as I am typing this ingredient that I forgot to put it in...that stinks because I had to buy it for this recipe, and then forgot to use it...oh well)

In a large skillet, saute the onion, green pepper, and garlic in oil until onion is crisp-tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 13x9 baking dish. Cover and bake @ 350 for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. 6 servings.

So Steve and I really liked this. The beans and rice had a kind of sweet flavor from the brown sugar & corn syrup. I am on a quest to get my children to like rice, because of anticipated future time we'll be spending in Haiti, where beans and rice are a staple. I thought this would be a yummy recipe for them...but all they did was pick out the sausage and eat that, leaving the rest. Sam tried to explain this by telling me that he was not that hungry before he even started eating, so he got full fast. He ate 3 of each bean, he told me. He is such a sweet boy that he never tells me that he doesn't like something, he just tries to explain why he won't eat it in a way that does not reflect on my cooking. He gets that from his Daddy, so considerate, I love it. Although I think it may be deceptive...just tell me if you don't like it, I understand, even I do not like everything that I cook...I guess if he read my blog he would know that. While Emma was watching me cook this, she told me she was not going to like it because she doesn't like rice or ketchup, and she didn't want her sausage touching those things, either. And while she was eating, she would put a bite of sausage on her fork and ask me if it had ketchup on it. I told her "no." But I am definitely keeping this recipe and making it again, bad reviews and all, because I really liked it. I think it will be the type of recipe that I will make for Steve and I to pack in our lunches, instead of a family meal, because it was so so yummy and also good for you.