Yes, You Can Have Cassoulet On a Weeknight with This Easy Recipe! (2024)

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  • Comfort Food

This quick cassoulet with white beans, chicken, and sausages comes together in about 45 minutes.

By

Sally Vargas

Yes, You Can Have Cassoulet On a Weeknight with This Easy Recipe! (1)

Sally Vargas

Sally is the author of four cookbooks and is a regular correspondent for the Boston Globe Wednesday Food Section. She also is a food photographer.

Learn about Simply Recipes'Editorial Process

Updated July 13, 2023

Yes, You Can Have Cassoulet On a Weeknight with This Easy Recipe! (2)

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Yes, You Can Have Cassoulet On a Weeknight with This Easy Recipe! (3)

  • How to Make Cassoulet on a Weeknight

  • The Best Beans for Easy Cassoulet

  • The Chicken and Sausages

  • Serving Suggestions

  • To Store and Reheat

This is a quick and easy weeknight version of a classic cassoulet, a hearty dish that can take a few days to prepare. Cassoulet, originating in the Languedoc region of France, traditionally starts with white beans, onions, tomatoes, herbs, and includes lavish ingredients like pork, sausages,duck confit, and sometimes lamb. Everything is slowly prepared over a few days and served in an earthenware pot under a golden bread crumb crust.

This easier yet tasty cassoulet is a nod to the traditional version. It’s a simple bean dish in a flavorful tomato broth that calls for bacon, chicken thighs, and Italian sausages. It’s a truly comforting meal that can be easily accomplished on a weeknight if you have just 40 minutes to spare. Bring on the snow and cold, this cassoulet has got you covered!

How to Make Cassoulet on a Weeknight

Cook the bacon, onions, and garlic, and brown the bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and Italian sausages in a skillet. Throw them into a Dutch oven with canned beans and tomatoes. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and pop it under the broiler for a minute or two. Walk the Dutch oven straight to the table for a beautiful presentation. It’s that easy!

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The Best Beans for Easy Cassoulet

White beans are best. There are four readily available types of canned beans to choose from for this recipe. Don’t drain and rinse the beans—add the liquid in the can into the cassoulet.

  • Navy beansare small and oval-shaped and famous for their use inBoston baked beans.
  • Great northern beansareslightly larger than navy beans. They hold their shape well when cooked and have a mild flavor. These are my favorite for cassoulet.
  • Cannellini beansare the next size up from great northern beans and a little meatier than the first two.
  • Butterbeans(akababy lima beans) are the largest of the four.

If you prefer tocook your own dried beans, use 3 1/2 cups cooked beans with some of the cooking liquid instead of two cans of beans.

The Chicken and Sausages

This recipe calls for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for a boost of flavor. Could you use chicken breasts or boneless thighs? Yes, you can. They tend to overcook faster, so keep your eye on them as they cook.

Fresh Italian pork sausages are easy to find at the grocery store and make a good substitute for the traditionally usedToulouse pork sausages. You could also use garlic sausages or Andouille sausages.

While fresh sausages are preferable, you could use precooked ones. Browning them would be purely for aesthetics, so you can skip that part and add them to the beans, cooking them just long enough to heat them through.

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Serving Suggestions

Bring the whole pot of cassoulet to the table! Scoop some beans and broth into bowls and top each with a piece of chicken and a sausage. Try not to disturb the crunchy and delicious crumbs on top when you scoop. Serve it with a simple salad withthis dressingand a baguette for swiping up the delicious juices.

To Store and Reheat

Store any leftover cassoulet in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat the cassoulet in a small pot on the stovetop until heated through. You could also microwave individual portions until heated through.

To freeze, spoon leftovers into an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it as described above.

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More Easy Casseroles to Try

  • Sausage, Pepper, and Potato Bake
  • Broccoli Cheese Casserole
  • Tuna and Tomato Pasta Casserole
  • Marge Perry and David Bonom’s Easy Skillet Lasagna
  • Polenta Sausage Mozzarella Casserole

Easy Cassoulet

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time45 mins

Servings4to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs(about 1 1/2 pounds)

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 sweet Italian pork sausages(about 12 ounces)

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

  • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans great northern or navy beans

  • 1 small handful fresh thyme, tied together with kitchen twine

  • 1 1/2 cups coarsefresh breadcrumbs

  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

  • Baguette, for serving

Method

  1. Cook the bacon:

    In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon for 3 to 4 minutes stirring frequently, until it renders much of its fat but is not yet crisp. Transfer the bacon to a large plate.

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  2. Prep the chicken and sausages:

    Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and black pepper. Prick each sausage with the tip of a paring knife in a couple of places. This will prevent them from bursting as they cook.

  3. Cook the chicken and sausages:

    In the same skillet used to cook the bacon, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat it over medium-high heat. No need to drain out the bacon grease. Add the chicken, skin side-down, and the sausages. You may need to do this in batches if the skillet is not large enough. Cook the meat until golden brown on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer them to the plate with the bacon one by one as they look ready.

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  4. Cook the onions and garlic:

    Pour off and discard all but a thin layer of fat from the skillet. Return the skillet to the stove over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onions soften.

  5. Assemble the cassoulet:

    Transfer the cooked onions and garlic into a large (at least 4-quart) Dutch oven. Stir in the tomatoes, beans with their liquid, and thyme sprigs. Nestle in the bacon, chicken thighs, and sausages.

    Bring the cassoulet to a simmer over medium heat. Adjust the heat to a steady simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes, until the chicken and sausages are cooked through. The chicken should measure 165ºF when an instant read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the meat.

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  6. Turn on the broiler:

    Set a rack about 8 inches from the broiler element and turn on the broiler.

  7. Make the breadcrumbs:

    In a small bowl, toss the breadcrumbs with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and parsley.

    Yes, You Can Have Cassoulet On a Weeknight with This Easy Recipe! (10)

  8. Broil the cassoulet:

    Remove and discard the thyme sprigs from the cassoulet. Evenly sprinkle in the breadcrumbs and place the Dutch oven into the oven to broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until the top browns. Watch it carefully—this only takes a minute or two. Remove the cassoulet from the oven and sprinkle in more parsley, if you’d like.

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    Yes, You Can Have Cassoulet On a Weeknight with This Easy Recipe! (12)

  9. Serve the cassoulet:

    Ladle some beans into 4 shallow bowls. Top each bowl with a sausage and a chicken thigh. Serve with a baguette on the side and a large spoon to scoop up all the delicious juices.

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  • Comfort Food
  • Casseroles
  • French
  • Chicken Thighs
  • Winter
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1156Calories
47g Fat
117g Carbs
70g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4to 6
Amount per serving
Calories1156
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 47g60%
Saturated Fat 13g67%
Cholesterol 206mg69%
Sodium 2472mg107%
Total Carbohydrate 117g42%
Dietary Fiber 19g70%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 70g
Vitamin C 12mg60%
Calcium 249mg19%
Iron 11mg62%
Potassium 1439mg31%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Yes, You Can Have Cassoulet On a Weeknight with This Easy Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What exactly is cassoulet? ›

cassoulet, French dish of white beans baked with meats; it takes its name from its cooking pot, the cassole d'Issel. Originating in Languedoc in southwest France, cassoulet was once simple farmhouse fare, but it has been elaborated into a rich and complex dish.

What is the best way to eat cassoulet? ›

As it's a stew that means that the best sides to serve with a Cassoulet are usually carb-based. Anything that will help mop up the broth will work, but if you really want to serve something great, then try serving it with some of the below: Roast Potatoes – Crispy roast potatoes are a great pairing with cassoulet.

What is a good substitute for cassoulet beans? ›

Cassoulet in 3 Acts

All the ingredients for a good cassoulet can be found in most grocery stores. Purists will argue that you need to find real tarbais beans but I have found white kidney beans work just as well.

What is the English word for cassoulet? ›

cassoulet in American English

(ˌkæsəˈlei, French kasuːˈle) noun. a white-bean stew of French origin, often containing pork, mutton, garlic sausage, and preserved goose or duck.

What is the order of cassoulet? ›

Layer cassoulet.

It goes like this: one-third of ragout mixture, half of the sausage and duck meat, another third of the ragout mixture, remaining sausages and duck meat, then remaining ragout mixture. Sprinkle most—but not all! —of the breadcrumbs on top.

What dish is similar to cassoulet? ›

If you like cassoulet, you'll love fabada. It's leaner, smokier, and—crucially—takes a fraction of the time to prepare.

What is the Holy Trinity of cassoulet? ›

There are three types of cassoulet – the Holy Trinity. There's the 'Father' (pork and goose), the 'Son' (mutton and partridge), and the 'Holy Ghost' (sausage, mutton, and duck).

Where is cassoulet most popular? ›

In South West France, cassoulet is more than king: it's God Himself. That's according to the celebrated belle epoque chef Prosper Montagné, anyway — and almost a century after he said it, no one's arguing. This humble bean stew is as much part of the cultural identity of the Occitanie region as rugby and red wine.

What type of sausage for cassoulet? ›

Toulouse sausage is deliciously grilled over hardwoods, gently roasted in a 180°C oven, and, of course, in cassoulet and other winter soups. The Toulouse Sausage is offered in a variety of tastes in France. The main ingredients, however, are pork, red wine, and garlic.

What is the main ingredient of the French dish cassoulet? ›

Cassoulet, a hearty slow-simmered stew of sausage, confit (typically duck), pork, and white beans, is one of the great hallmarks of French country cuisine. The best versions are cooked for hours until the beans and meat meld into a dish of luxuriant, velvety richness.

Why does cassoulet take so long? ›

Cassoulet does take time to make: there is overnight marinating and soaking, plus a long afternoon of roasting and simmering, and a few days on top of that if you make your own confit.

Why is cassoulet so special? ›

During the siege of the city of Castelnaudary, peasants, facing starvation, were said to have thrown whatever they could find—beans, duck, sausage and other odds and ends—into a pot called a cassole to create a stew. They then put the big pot into the oven, and ate the heaping dish that emerged.

What are the best beans for cassoulet? ›

The Best Beans for Cassoulet

Cassoulet is traditionally made with dried white beans like flageolet or regional specialty beans like these ones from Tarbais.

What is the difference between a casserole and a cassoulet? ›

The main difference between a casserole and a cassoulet is that a casserole is more of a food category than one specific dish. In contrast, cassoulet is the name of a particular dish. This dish combines meat, usually pork or mutton, with white beans and seasonings.

Is cassoulet served with red or white wine? ›

Heavy red wine should accompany the cassoulet.

What is the difference between cassoulet and cassolette? ›

A cassoulet, of course, is something else entirely, and usually refers to that long-simmering stew from southwest France of duck, lamb or pork, and white beans. Confused? Maybe it will help if you roll up your sleeves and bake this cassolette recipe—a luscious gratin of chicken and noodles rife with French flavors.

What do you serve for guest dinner? ›

43 Easy But Impressive Dinner Party Recipes
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Aug 14, 2024

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