Quick ‘Cassoulet’ with Sausage and White Beans

Adapted from Real Simple

Good to Know: Serve with crusty bread for sopping up the sauce and a simple green salad to round out the meal. Feel free to use turkey sausage in place of Italian—just add an extra tablespoon of oil to the pot before cooking the meat.

You’ll Need

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb mild Italian sausages, casings removed
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 carrots, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
3 parsnips, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, chopped
1½ cup chicken broth
3 cans (540 ml each) navy beans, drained and rinsed
5 sprigs thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
1 cup plain breadcrumbs or panko
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp olive oil

Prep and Cook

In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the sausage until well browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
Add the onion, carrots and parsnips to the pot and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato, chicken broth, beans, thyme and sausage meat to the pot and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom. Season well with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour, until thickened and the vegetables are tender.
Heat oven to 400° F. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, 1 teaspoon of salt and the olive oil. Sprinkle evenly over the cassoulet and place in the oven. Bake, uncovered, until the crust is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.