Sunday, 08 November 2009

• Frugal Feeds: Cost-Conscious Cassoulet

  This is a guest blog from Feast on the Cheap.
  

  
  

  Preparing a traditional Cassoulet is incredibly time consuming and fairly pricey since it requires exotic, hard-to-find ingredients like goose and mutton. There are several recipes out there that “cheap it down,” but they also include the use of duck, which is expensive and labor-intensive  prep-wise.

  Michael combined several recipes for something that would satisfy his winter craving for this savory stew without blowing his holiday budget. The following recipe is his very own “quick” Cassoulet (with a splash of my own additions, of course!). Hands-on-time is about 45 minutes and then it’s “set it and forget it” as it roasts for 3 to 4  hours in the oven. This hearty dish is perfect for “Super Sundays” cooking and a terrific alternative to the usual diet of chili and nachos during football season!

  Feel free to experiment with other meat choices such as garlic sausages, pork or lamb. This will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 4 days or you can freeze portions for another week. Additionally, I chose to prepare this with pork sausage and real bacon, but it is delicious with healthier options such as low fat chicken or turkey sausage. Swap out the bacon for turkey bacon, which again, is considerably heart-friendlier.

  I serve this with a simple Caesar Salad and crusty French bread. A glass of hearty red wine such as a Burgundy goes down nicely with this meal.
  

  *Note: You will need a large skillet and a 6-quart ovenproof stockpot or a deep 6-quart covered casserole. I spray the inside of the stockpot or casserole as well as the inside of the lid with Pam. This makes cleanup so much easier.

  Ingredients:
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil — stock
  • 1 lb. Italian sausages (Hot or sweet or a combo), cut into 1/3 inch round slices — $2.50
  • 5 Lbs. of Chicken thighs and drumsticks (bone in) — $7.27
  • ¼ lb. thick cut bacon — $0.99
  • 1 large Vidalia onion, chopped (4 cups) — $1.30
  • 3/4 cup celery, chopped — $0.49
  • 4 carrots, chopped — $0.35
  • 2 Bay leaves — stock
  • 4 cups canned Cannellini beans drained and rinsed — $2.00
  • 4 cloves chopped garlic — stock
  • 1 (28 oz.) can chopped/diced tomatoes with juice — $2.19
  • 1 Teaspoon dried Thyme — stock
  • 1 cup red wine — stock
  • 1 cup Chicken stock/broth — stock
  • 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce — stock
  • salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

  Topping: (optional)
  

  • 6 Tablespoons fresh bread crumbs — stock
  • 4 Tablespoons butter, melted — stock
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley — $0.29

  Grand Total Assuming Well-Stocked Pantry: $17.38
  Total Per Serving: $2.17
  

  Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the sausages into 1/3 inch thick rounds.

  2. Sauté the bacon until crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Crumble the cooked bacon and set aside.

  3. Drain the fat from the pan. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet and over medium flame brown the sausages on all sides. Transfer to a platter. Brown the chicken in the same pan. You will have to do this in batches. (About 10 minutes per batch.) Transfer to the platter.

  4. If necessary, add another tablespoon or so of olive oil to the same skillet. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the onion is translucent.

  5. Add the garlic and sauté an additional 5 minutes.

  6. To the prepared stockpot or casserole dish add the beans, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves, red wine, chicken stock, Worcestershire, crumbled bacon, salt and pepper, combining well.

  7. Add the chicken and sliced sausages. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 3 to 3 1/2 hours until bubbling and thickened. While the Cassoulet is roasting, combine the fresh breadcrumbs and melted butter. Set aside.

  8. During the last ½ hour of roasting, remove the lid and sprinkle the top of the Cassoulet with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, uncovered until crumbs are golden. The liquids will have largely evaporated, creating a thick sauce. The chicken will be crisp and deep brown on the outside — the inside moist and practically falling off the bone.

  9. Garnish with parsley before serving.

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