Crockpot White Bean and Sausage Stew

I came across this recipe at Kalyn's Kitchen. I decided to give a go at adapting it for the crockpot--especially since it's Sunday night, parent-teacher conference week, and I want an easy dinner for tomorrow! I also made a few changes along the way. Here's my version!

What you need:
-1 cup of dry white beans, soaked overnight (cannellini or great Northern) If you use canned, use 1 can and I'd add them later so they don't turn to mush.
-1 package of chicken sausage--I used Roasted Red Pepper with Asiago Cheese. There are a lot of good varieties out there that add a lot of flavor.
-1 onion, chopped
-1 bell pepper, chopped
-2-4 carrots, chopped (my carrots were puny so I used 4)
-1 can diced tomatoes, with juice-mine were the garlic, oregano, basil type
-1-2 T minced garlic
-2 t. oregano
-1 t. thyme
-2 cups chicken stock or broth (about a can)
-fresh chopped basil (not pictures as it was still growing on the plant)
-1 T balsamic vinegar (not pictured because I forgot)
-2 bay leaves (not pictured because I didn't think of it until later)
-optional-sprinkle with parmesan when serving or a blob of sour cream/Greek yogurt. If you like heat, add red pepper flakes

Do ahead tip:
*REQUIRED FOR DRIED BEANS* Soak the dry beans in water overnight. If you forget, but have an hour to spare, you can quick soak them. If not, use canned.
If you are a working type, it's really nice to have everything ready to go in the morning. I chopped up the onion, carrots, pepper, and sausages and stuck them in the fridge so it's all ready to go in the morning.

What to do:
-Drain the beans and pick out any that look weird.
-Dump all ingredients (except parmesan cheese) in the crockpot, cook on low until beans are cooked (I accidentally had to leave mine for 10 hours-everything was quite soft but it was probably fine after 8. If you make this, add your time in the comments!) If using canned beans, drain and add an hour or less before serving or they could turn mushy.
-Pick out bay leaves and serve!

How it turned out:
Really yummy! My biggest disappointment is that my crockpot isn't fuller! I have a 4.5 quart and I probably would've added another 1/2 cup of dry beans, cup of broth, and more chopped veggies. I really like this.