One Pot Meal: Sausage & White Bean Cassoulet Topped with Biscuits

Oh, boy, have I got a fantastic recipe for you today.  A really hearty, comforting cassoulet that screams Welcome Fall! It's not quite cool enough outside yet to break out the chunky knit sweaters and hot apple cider but this dish is so tasty you just might start making it year round.  I would not object.

This is what it looks like when it comes out of the oven, golden brown and bubbly hot around the edges.

I know. Beautiful.  Food like this reminds you that life is good.  Very good.  This recipe makes enough for a crowd so invite your best friends over and eat that good life together.

SAUSAGE & WHITE BEAN CASSOULET TOPPED WITH BISCUITS
printer friendly recipe

For the cassoulet:

1 pound sweet or spicy sausage (pork, chicken, turkey or duck, your choice)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small carrots, sliced thinly
2 celery stalks, sliced thinly
3 cups sliced leeks
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon sage
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 cans white beans, drained well
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place a heavy 9x13 baking pan on the largest burner of your stove.  Add olive oil and heat over medium.

Add the carrots and celery.  Saute for five minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Remove the sausage from its casings and break into bite size pieces.  Add to pan and saute for 5 minutes, unless the sausage starts to lose its pinkness around the edges.

Add the leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, sage and mustard.  Saute for ten minutes.

Add the flour and stir well.  Saute for another couple of minutes.

Add the beans and chicken broth.  Stir well.  Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the cassoulet is simmering, prepare the biscuits.

For the biscuits: 

4 cups flour, sifted
5 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/3 - 1 1/2 cups milk

Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add the milk a little at a time, stirring with a fork.  Add enough milk so that the dough comes together in a soft mass but isn't too sticky.

Turn out the dough out onto a lightly floured board.  Pat out the dough into a 9x13 rectangle.  Cut out twelve 2 1/2 inch wide biscuits.

Turn off the heat under the cassoulet.

Arrange the biscuits in a single layer over the top of the cassoulet.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown.

Serves 8.