Meat Lite: Moderately Meaty Cassoulet

Name: Meat Lite: Moderately Meaty Cassoulet
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 1 bay leaf; 454 grams button or cremini mushrooms, minced; 5 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed; 1 smoked ham shank or hock; 170 grams Kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 3 Tbsps olive oil, divided; 1 onion, halved, 1 half left intact, the other half minced (divided); 2 sprigs rosemary; 8 servings Salt and pepper to taste; 1 Tbsp table salt; 3 sprigs thyme, plus another 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves (divided); 454 grams dried white beans, such as great northern; 5 slices stale white bread, crusts removed, and pulsed to crumbs in the food processor; 1 head whole head of garlic

Meat Lite: Moderately Meaty Cassoulet is a dairy free main course. One portion of this dish contains approximately 228g of protein, 180g of fat, and a total of 2692 calories. This recipe serves 8. This recipe covers 58% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. Head to the store and pick up garlic, beans, olive oil, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the bay leaf you could follow this main course with the Adorable Applesauce Cupcakes as a dessert. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 45 minutes.

Instructions

Cover the beans with cold water by two inches, and dissolve 1 tablespoon table salt into the water. Soak overnight and then drain and rinse before using.

Ingredients you will need

Table Salt

Beans

Water

Preheat your over to 250°F. In a large Dutch oven, combine the beans, ham shank or hock, rosemary, thyme sprigs, onion half, lightly crushed garlic cloves, bay leaf, and 8 cups cold water. Bring to a boil on the stovetop, then transfer to the oven and cook until the beans are tender, about two hours.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Garlic Cloves

Fresh Thyme

Bay Leaves

Rosemary

Beans

Onion

Water

Ham

Equipment you will use

Dutch Oven

Oven

While the beans come to a boil, trim the stem end off the whole head of garlic, coat with about 2 tablespoon of the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and wrap loosely in aluminum foil or in a ramekin. Put in the oven to roast while the beans cook.

Ingredients you will need

Salt And Pepper

Olive Oil

Garlic

Beans

Wrap

Equipment you will use

Aluminum Foil

Ramekin

Oven

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the kielbasa, and cook until it's beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Kielbasa

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Add the minced onion, mushrooms, and minced thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have given off their liquid and it has evaporated, the onions have softened, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Reserve and refrigerate until the beans have finished cooking.

Ingredients you will need

Mushrooms

Onion

Beans

Thyme

When the beans are finished, remove and reserve the ham hock or shank.

Ingredients you will need

Ham Hock

Beans

Remove and discard the rosemary and thyme sprigs, the half onion, the bay leaf and the garlic cloves.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Garlic Cloves

Fresh Thyme

Bay Leaves

Rosemary

Onion

Drain the beans, straining and reserving 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid. Reduce the cooking liquid in a medium saucepan by half.

Ingredients you will need

Beans

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Remove the roasted head of garlic, reserving the oil, and when cool enough to handle, squeeze out the garlic paste.

Ingredients you will need

Garlic Paste

Garlic

Cooking Oil

Whisk the garlic paste into the reserved cooking liquid.

Ingredients you will need

Garlic Paste

Equipment you will use

Whisk

If your ham bone has some good looking meat on it that you'd like to add to your dish, shred it into bite size morsels and add to your beans.

Ingredients you will need

Ham Bone

Beans

Meat

Add the reserved onion-mushroom mixture to the beans and stir to combine, then transfer it into a 9-by-13 inch baking dish.

Ingredients you will need

Mushrooms

Beans

Onion

Equipment you will use

Baking Pan

Pour the reduced cooking liquid and garlic paste over the top.

Ingredients you will need

Garlic Paste

Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top, drizzle with reserved garlic oil, and bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes, broiling the last few minutes to crisp the top.

Ingredients you will need

Breadcrumbs