Easy Sausage Cassoulet
shared by Nibblore Cuisine
This simplified cassoulet combines creamy white beans, browned sausages, and a rich tomato sauce scented with thyme. Canned beans save hours of preparation, while a light breadcrumb topping creates a crisp, golden crust. It is a hearty, warming choice for a family dinner without the all-day cooking of a traditional cassoulet. • Drain the beans thoroughly, but stir them gently so they do not break down into a mash. • If the sauce looks too thick before baking, add 50–100 ml of stock; it should coat the beans without appearing dry. • For a deeper golden crust, place the dish under the grill for 1–2 minutes, watching it constantly. • Replace Toulouse sausages with thick, unsmoked plain pork sausages. • If fresh thyme is unavailable, use 1 teaspoon dried thyme. • Replace the chicken stock with beef or vegetable stock. • For a less smoky flavour, replace the lardons with finely diced fresh pork belly. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat covered at 180°C for 20–25 minutes, adding a splash of stock if needed, or microwave individual portions. Freeze without the parsley for up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat thoroughly until piping hot in the centre.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Beginner-friendly
Create a free account to keep this recipe in your own cookbook and find it again when it’s time to cook.
Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 6Toulouse sausages
- 150 gsmoked bacon lardons
- 1yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 clovegarlic, finely chopped
- 2 tbsptomato paste
- 800 gcanned white beans, rinsed and drained
- 400 gcanned chopped tomatoes
- 300 mlchicken stock, preferably low-sodium
- 2bay leaves
- 4fresh thyme sprigs
- ½ tspground black pepper
- ¼ tspfine salt, plus more to taste
- 40 gbreadcrumbs
- 1 tbspflat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 190°C conventional. Have ready an ovenproof casserole about 28 cm in diameter or a deep 3-litre baking dish.
- 2Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the whole sausages for 7–9 minutes, turning regularly; they should be well coloured but not yet cooked through. Transfer them to a plate.
- 3Add the bacon lardons and onion to the same casserole. Cook over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until the onion is tender and the bacon begins to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- 4Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, thyme, pepper, and salt. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- 5Add the beans and stir gently. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasoning lightly; the sausages and bacon will add more salt as they cook.
- 6Cut each browned sausage in half diagonally, then nestle the pieces halfway into the beans. Transfer the uncovered casserole to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, until the sauce bubbles around the edges and begins to thicken.
- 7Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Scatter the mixture over the cassoulet and bake for another 10–12 minutes, until the top is golden and the centres of the sausages reach at least 71°C.
- 8Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems. Let the cassoulet rest for 10 minutes so the sauce can settle, then sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.