Slow Cooker Vegetable Casserole

This was a really hard dish to get a good picture of. It was nicely stacked in the slow cooker, but when I dished it up, it all kinda fell apart. The pics don't do it justice. Just try to imagine beans mixed with pesto, layered with polenta, zucchini, mushrooms, cheese and then spinach and pesto on top. Oh and don't forget the tomatoes. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious this ended up being. This was a tasty, easy dish that was full of flavor and veggies. I added a sliced zucchini because I had one and we had this on a busy weekend. If you need a side dish that is full of veggies, this is a good one. But, I am not going to lie, this is the only part of the meal that I ate.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Casserole adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
2 19-oz. cans cannellini beans
1 19-oz. can garbanzo or fava beans
1/4 cup purchased basil pesto
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 16-oz. pkg. refrigerated cooked plain polenta cut in 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 zucchini, sliced

1-8 oz pkg mushrooms, presliced
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
1 8-oz. pkg. finely shredded Italian cheese blend (2 cups)
2 cups fresh spinach

Directions
1. Rinse and drain beans. In large bowl combine beans, 2 tablespoons of pesto, onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning.
2. In 4- to 5-quart slow cooker layer half of bean mixture, half of polenta, zucchini, and half of cheese. Add remaining beans and polenta. Cover; cook on low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or on high heat setting 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Add tomato, remaining cheese and spinach. Combine remaining pesto and 1 tablespoon water. Drizzle pesto mixture on casserole. Let stand, uncovered, 5 minutes. Makes 8 servings.