Brown sausage in skillet and crumble with fork. Drain off any fat. In a large pot, combine beans, tomatoes, water, onions, bay leaves, salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic powder, then add the sausage. Cover the pot and simmer for 50 minutes. Add potatoes or rice and green peppers and cook on low heat for about 25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender or rice is cooked. Remove bay leaves and serve with warm French bread.

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