Easy Sausage Cassoulet

I've been talking with one of my co-workers about having a kitchen play-date for some time now and it finally happened yesterday. When asked what she wanted to make, her first suggestion was something with lamb (yuck!) which I quickly nixed, but then her next suggestion was a cassoulet. Now, I've made cassoulet before in my slow-cooker, with chicken and smoked sausage. It was good, but this version with the Italian sausage was fantastic! Traditional cassoulet is usually made with rich ingredients like duck confit, duck sausages, or other gamey ingredients cooked slowly together to make for a final dish very complex in flavor.

Yeah, that is sooooo not my style of cooking.

While not exactly quick cooking, at least this particular variation of the dish is easy to put together and uses ingredients commonly found in any grocery store. As a matter of fact, I keep ALL of these ingredients in my pantry/freezer on a regular basis so really, it couldn't have been any easier. ;)

Easy Sausage Cassoulet

sausage cassoulet with breadcrumb topping

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
6 Italian sausage links, pricked with a fork* (sweet or hot, dealer's choice)
1 large onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
3 ribs of celery, diced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. herbes de provence
1 Tbs. dried parsley
1 tsp. garlic powder (as always, you can use fresh if you prefer)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste (heavier on the pepper is best)
1 (14.5 ounce) can of tomatoes (stewed, diced, or fire-roasted)
4 cups chicken stock
2 (15.5 ounce) cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2" piece of parmesan rind or 2 Tbs. parmesan, grated (yes, the stuff from the green works very well here)

2-3 slices of whole grain bread, diced and crumbled (stale bread works best)
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. garlic powder

Directions:
In a large dutch oven (or heavy bottom pot) over medium-low heat, cook the Italian sausages in olive oil until browned on all sides and almost cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. (*THIS is why you need to prick the sausages all over with a fork; as they cook, some of the fat will render out which adds to the taste of the dish.) Remove the mostly cooked sausages from the pot and set aside, leaving the oil in the pot.

Dump the onions and celery into the pot and cook until slightly softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in all the spices and salt & pepper, continuing to cook for another few minutes before adding the canned tomatoes with their juice as well as the chicken stock. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the stew to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Slice the Italian sausages on the bias into about 1/4" pieces before adding them back to the stew. Stir in the beans and parmesan, reducing the heat to low. Simmer the cassoulet for 35-45 minutes or until the liquid reduces somewhat and the beans start to release their starch.

Meanwhile, toss the bread cubes in the olive oil and spices, spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees until crispy, golden brown, about 6-8 minutes.

To serve, ladle the cassoulet into a deep bowl and top with a handful of the breadcrumbs. We rounded out the meal with a nice spinach salad and some homemade rosemary & sea salt foccaccia... yum!

Enjoy!

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A few too many cocktails (vodka-cranberry, my favorite) led my sous-chef to take a bit of an impromptu nap before dinner even hit the table. I took that as a sign of a fun afternoon.

Next time, I will play bartender and maybe not use such a, um, generous pour. Although I have to say, cassoulet is a great dish to soak up an excess of alcohol... but then you're in danger of warm, full-belly syndrome. Oh well, c'est la vie, right? ;)