Quick Cassoulet

See how to make delicious cassoulet in just an hour. See more

READY IN ABOUT 1½ hrs

Chef John's Quick Cassoulet

Read Reviews (13)

"We've taken some short cuts to make a quick version of the French classic, cassoulet. Chicken thighs replace the classic, and time-consuming, duck confit; canned beans replace dried; and bacon serves as a convenient substitute for other, more involved smoked pork options." — Chef John

Directions

Add bacon to a large, cold oven-ready skillet. Place over medium heat and cook for 10-12 minutes, until almost crisp. Transfer to a bowl, reserving the grease in the pan.
Stir in sausage slices; cook 3-4 minutes. Add chicken thigh pieces; cook and stir for 5 minutes, until browned. Remove meat to the plate with bacon. Discard all the oil, but don't wipe out the pan.
Add chopped onion and turn the heat to medium-low; cook and stir for 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add 1 cup of chicken stock.
Mash about 1/4 of the beans in a small bowl, stir all the beans into the pan.
Stir in cayenne, rosemary and thyme. Add reserved meat back to the pan. Stir in remaining cup of stock or more if needed to cover. Return to simmer.
Mix bread crumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano and melted butter together in a small bowl.
Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 7 inches from the heat source.
Sprinkle the cassoulet with half the bread crumb mixture. Place under the broiler and cook about 5 minutes, until browned.
Remove the pan and push bread crumbs down into the cassoulet. Top with remaining bread crumb mixture. Return to oven and continue broiling 5 more minutes, until browned.
Turn off the broiler and leave in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes. Enjoy.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 45 mins
READY IN 1 hr 25 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Feb 26, 2012

Very quick and foolproof recipe. I used chicken breast (because I didn't have any thighs, not for health reasons) and dried rosemary and thyme and it still tasted good. Will definitely make this again.

—Danielicious

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Apr 24, 2013

To me, this recipe's only saving grace was the sausage and the bacon. Everything else was just mushy blah. Made exactly as written. Not sure what went wrong. I love French food and Chef John's recipes in general. I may have to make this again just to see if I feel the same way.

—JOSEPHINE ♥ ALLRECIPES

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16 Ratings

Apr 16, 2012

Excellent! I didn't have a skillet that could go in the broiler so I transferred it to a casserole dish.

—Novamama

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Feb 26, 2012

WOW. I'm eating it for breakie right now. Fantastic. Very flexible! I'm a vegetarian so changed all those ingredients and spices to approximate John's meatier options, plus I tossed in a cup of leftover rice, carrots, cabbage, edamame and celery from last night. The topping is DIVINE. Only note I'd add is to check the pan in the broiler at 3 minutes. Mine was ready. Excellent breakfast!

—JANOWA

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Feb 29, 2012

I was looking for recipes to season my new cast iron skillet and I am so glad I came across this one. I wouldn't change a thing. I have another cassoulet recipe that calls for breakfast sausage so I may attempt to use that instead of the smoke sausage the next time I cook this. It smells so good while your cooking it you can't wait for it to be done. It is a little time consuming but it was cold and rainy today so it was a prefect way to stay busy indoors. It was delicious and I will most certainly be making this again.

—LindsaySue2

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Feb 29, 2012

THis had good flavor and was easy to do. I used a dutch oven to prepare and it was great.

—NKWDU88

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Jan 15, 2013

Wow. I love Chef John's recipes. I highly recommend watching his cooking videos as well. This is perfect comfort food and very easy to make. I don't have an oven safe skillet so made this in a dutch oven. I used chicken breast (thought I had thighs in the freezer, but no) which was fine but I think thighs would be best. I also used breakfast sausage instead of smoked because I prefer the flavor. I also used dried rosemary and thyme (1/2 tsp. each which was plenty). I was worried that I had added to much chicken broth, but if you follow all the steps, by the end it thickens up so nicely (you'll see if you watch the video). I served this with a green salad with apples and dried cranberries. Thanks, Chef John! Another winner!

—Steph

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Feb 10, 2013

I'm a believer, Chef John! A few years ago I had dinner in Paris with 2 friends. We had a wonderful cassoulet. I have looked on line for a recipe ever since. Most were too complicated. I took this to a friend's for the finishing broiler touches. Like one of the other reviewers, I transfered it to a casserole dish, but otherwise, I didn't change a thing. Perfect for a cold, snowy night in Minnesota!

—Ekstrom

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Nutrition

Calories
906 kcal
45%

Carbohydrates
72.2 g
23%

Cholesterol
142 mg
47%

Fat
44.2 g
68%

Fiber
12.5 g
50%

Protein
54.4 g
109%

Sodium
2130 mg
85%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Chef John's Quick Cassoulet

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 906
Calories from Fat: 397

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 44.2g 68 %
Saturated Fat 18.8g 94 %
Cholesterol 142mg 47 %
Sodium 2130mg 85 %
** Potassium 1468mg 41 %
Total Carbohydrates 72.2g 23 %
Dietary Fiber 12.5g 50 %
Protein 54.4g 109 %
** Sugars 6.5g
Vitamin A 10 %
Vitamin C 10 %
Calcium 45 %
Iron 95 %
** Thiamin 94 %
** Niacin 144 %
** Vitamin B6 39 %
** Magnesium 56 %
** Folate 104 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.