Hawaii's Share Your Table

Chicken, Sausage and Bean Casserole

Yields servings

Mains

Cassoulet is a specialty of the southwestern region of France, a hearty, rich casserole of white beans and meats, simmered for many hours. The meats can include pork, goose or duck, lamb and sausages; herbs, vegetables and tomatoes add their flavor to this wonderful meal. There are many versions of cassoulet, recipes for which can be found in many cookbooks. It takes some time to put together a cassoulet with its crusty breadcrumb topping; here's a simple version reminiscent of the real thing using readily available ingredients. Serve this casserole with a fresh green salad for a terrific Sunday Night Supper. 

• Cut the chicken into its parts: thighs, drumsticks, wings and breast. Cut each breast piece in half; you should have 10 pieces. (You could also use 8 to 10 chicken thighs for this recipe.) Season the pieces with salt and pepper.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or ovenproof casserole over medium high heat. Add the sausage and cook, browning the pieces well. Remove the sausage from the pan and drain excess oil.
• Add the chicken pieces, skin side down and cook until brown and crisp on all sides. Transfer chicken to a plate.
• Add the onions and garlic and cook for 10 minutes, until onions begin to brown. Add the carrots, tomatoes, bay leaves and thyme and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beans, chicken broth, sausage and chicken; bring to a boil, stirring together. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, covered.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Uncover the saucepan and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Stir in ¼ cup of the parsley.
• Mix the remaining parsley with the breadcrumbs. At this point you can transfer the bean mixture to an ovenproof casserole that can go to the table. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the beans. Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes; the bread crumbs should be well browned and form a crisp crust. Remove the casserole from the oven and serve. 

Notes

Choose a flavorful, spicy sausage like kielbasa or a Portuguese sausage; a chorizo or Italian sausage can work, too. The sausage will provide a strong flavor in the casserole.

For this recipe, we recommend using Hamakua Springs’ beefsteak tomatoes, or any variety of Ho Farms small tomatoes, which are ripened on the vine and pack more flavor. These tomatoes are Hawai‘i Seal of Quality products. For more information on Seal of Quality products, click on the logo.