Chicken Cassoulet

When the weather gets a little chilly, this is the perfect dish to warm your soul – and incorporating some local flavors gives it a new twist.

Total Time:  2˝ hours
Makes:  6 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs. of chicken (thighs and drumsticks)
  • Salt & pepper
  • 2 cups white wine (Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc - or substitute low-sodium chicken broth)
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 large Portuguese sausage, halved and sliced thin
  • 5 strips of bacon, cooked until crispy & crumbled
  • 1 large onion, chopped (about two cups)
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 14 oz. can diced tomato
  • 2 14 oz. cans of cannelloni beans
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 rounded teaspoon paprika
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • Fresh parsley for garnish, chopped fine
  • 1 baguette, sliced on the diagonal
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Garlic salt for seasoning

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 325° F (you can also use a crockpot – cook all day on low).  Rinse and pat dry your chicken pieces, then season with salt & pepper, set aside.  In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the white wine, broth, and tomato paste, set aside.

In a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven pot, sauté the Portuguese sausage over medium high heat until browned, remove and set aside.  Leave the oil in the pan and use it to brown your chicken (nice way to share the flavors!).  Remove the chicken and sauté your onions for about 5 minutes.  Add in the garlic and stir constantly for about 30 seconds.  Add in the chicken, broth mixture, diced tomato, beans, crumbled bacon, thyme, bay leaves, and paprika.  Cover and bake in the oven for approximately 1 hour.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle the top with panko and return to the oven for ˝ hour.  During this ˝ hour, brush your baguette with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic salt and toast in the oven while the cassoulet finishes.  To serve, use a shallow bowl and scoop out a portion, garnish with chopped parsley (even dried parsley is better than none) and serve with some of the garlic toast.

Recipe created by Personal Chef Michi Harris