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Recipes Nugget Markets Signature Recipes

Cassoulet with Butternut Squash

Prep time
40 minutes PT40M
Cook time
2 hours PT2H
Yield
8, 1½-cup servings
Difficulty
4 out of 5 on the difficulty scale
cassoulet_w_butternut_squash1 Nugget Markets signature recipes

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 cups onion, chopped and divided
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup dry Marsala
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • ¾ teaspoon thyme, divided
  • ¾ teaspoon cracked black pepper, divided
  • ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt, divided
  • ½ teaspoon basil
  • 1 lb. fresh Marzano tomatoes, diced; or 14 oz., canned
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup carrot, diced
  • 2 cups dried cannelli beans, cooked; or 2, 15-oz. cans Great Northern beans, drained
  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 4 Bledsoe’s bacon slices
  • ½ lb. Aidell's Smoked Chicken Sausage w/ Apples, sliced to ¼-inch

Preparation

The squash-and-bean mixture (paragraphs 1 and 2) can be prepared a day ahead of time; cover and refrigerate.

Melt butter in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 cup onion and garlic; sauté for 5 minutes. Add Marsala, parsley, ¼ teaspoon thyme, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt, basil and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Spoon into a bowl; set aside.

Combine ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 cups water, squash and carrot in pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Partially mash the beans with a potato masher and add beans-and-tomato mixture to pan. Cook over medium-low heat 30 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Rub chicken with ½ teaspoon thyme and ½ teaspoon pepper; set aside. Cook bacon in a large non-stick skillet; cut into 1-inch pieces. Add 1 cup onion and sausage to skillet; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the chicken, crumbled bacon, and sausage mixture to bean mixture in pan, stirring to combine.

Cover and bake at 325°F for 1 hour. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.

Techniques used in this recipe:

chop (I)
chop (I): to cut into pieces of roughly the same size.
dice
dice: to cut ingredients into small cubes (1/4 inch for small, 1/3 inch for medium, 3/4 inch for large).
mince
mince: to chop into very small pieces.
sauté
sauté: a cooking method in which items are cooked quickly in a small amount of fat in a pan on the range top.
simmer (I)
simmer (I): to maintain the temperature of a liquid just below boiling.

Glossary:

basil

Native to tropical Asia and Africa; there are 30 to 40 different species but generally only one common to the spice industry.

The basil plant is a low-growing annual approximately 18-inches in height. When seen growing in the field, it is almost succulent in appearance and gives off a sweet fragrance as one brushes by. The leaves are quite large, up to 2 1/2-inches in length and from 1/2 to 1-inch in width. The taste of fresh Basil is reminiscent of licorice, and the dried leaves have a lemony, anise-like quality.

Basil is versatile in its uses, which are limited only by the degree of inventiveness of the cook. It has a special affinity for tonatoes and tomato-based recipes, whether they be salads, vegetables, sauces, or main courses.

cassoulet

French. A stew of white beans baked with pork or other meats, duck or goose confit, and seasonings.

marsala

Sweet Sicilian dessert wine.

parsley

A low-growing biennial belonging to the celery family. The nativity of this popular herb is rather obscure, but it was definitely known as early as the the third century B.C. Two variteties dominate the culinary world - Italian, also known as flat-leaf and curly.

Parsley is used to season fresh sauces as well as cooked foods. Chimichurri, a popular South American condiment, is made of minced fresh parsley, garlic and olive oil. Use in basting and barbecue sauces for broiled or grilled fishes, roast poultry, pork, steaks, sausages, and chops. Add to tossed greens for salads, to vegetables, potatoes and a variety of dressings. It is also added to butter to make compound butters, tomato sauces, tartar sauce and green sauces.

thyme

The leaf of a bushy, low-growing perennial native to southern Europe; it belongs to the mint family. Principal producing areas are California and France. There are many varieties of thyme but two are primarily used - French Thyme and variegated or Lemon Thyme which is characterized by its fragrant, lemony aroma.

Thyme leaves flavor a wide range of dishes - from soups and stews to poultry and meats to sauces and vegetables. Try sautéing snap pea pods in olive oil with fresh thyme leaves and minced lemon zest; season with sea salt and cracked black pepper just prior to serving.