Easy Chicken Cassoulet (Cooking for Two)

I've watched Ina Garten make cassoulet several times on her show and have thought someday I would make it...when I have two days to cook dinner (it's a little complicated).

That wasn't going to happen so I found a cassoulet with "easy" in the title and decided to go with it and change the ingredients to make it work for two.

Cassoulet is essentially a French bean stew or casserole with some sort of meat (pork, beef, chicken, etc.) in it.

This one uses chicken and instead of using chicken thighs, I used some leftover rotisserie chicken (rotisserie is French, too, right?).  It also has a nice buttery breadcrumb topping on it.

When it says "easy," it means after you get the ingredients together, chopped, grated, and measured, it's easy.

Be sure and read through the ingredients and recipe carefully before making it.

The steps aren't complicated, but the ingredients need to be layered just so. The result is a very hearty, thick dish sprinkled with just the right amount of rosemary. If you're not fond of rosemary, try basil.

The addition of the parmesan really makes the dish. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the top is dotted with butter before baking.

We enjoyed this tasty and easy version of chicken cassoulet. I look forward to making Ina's version one day to stretch my cooking wings!

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Easy Chicken Cassoulet for Two

Yield: 2

Hearty, filling and delicious stew/casserole.

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 oz rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken, , chopped
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper, , divided
• 4 oz slice fresh mushrooms
• ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ¼ C dry white wine or chicken broth
• 1 (15 oz) can navy beans, rinsed, drained and divided
• ½ C grated Parmesan cheese, , divided
• ½ C soft breadcrumbs or fine dry breadcrumbs
• 6 oz chicken broth
• 2 tablespoon butter, , chopped into small pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sprinkle chicken with ¼ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Heat up olive oil in a skillet to medium and saute the chicken in it for 2 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
3. Add mushrooms and rosemary to the skillet, stir and saute for about 2 minutes (add another tsp. or so of olive oil if needed). Stir in white wine and cook on medium-low for about 5 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and add ½ can navy beans.
4. Spoon the bean mixture evenly into a glass loaf dish or 2 two-cup crocks. Top evenly with chopped chicken. Sprinkle evenly with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup breadcrumbs, and sprinkle with remaining ¼ tsp. pepper. Top evenly with remaining navy beans and drizzle the chicken broth over the entire dish. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese and ¼ cup breadcrumbs. Dot the top of the casserole with butter.
5. Bake, covered loosely with aluminum foil, for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 25 more minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:  

Make sure and use freshly grated Parmesan - not the green can stuff.

I made my own bread crumbs out of a heel and 1 piece of bread because I have a neat little chopper that will do it well.  Use what you have.  

Serve with cornbread or a fresh crusty roll.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 852Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 161mgSodium: 1981mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 13gSugar: 5gProtein: 49g

Nutrition Values are Approximate