Fast, Easy, Healthy Recipe For Chicken Cassoulet

Sunday Dinner: Cassoulet-Style Chicken Thighs

October 4, 2009

Filled with anticipation of the workweek, Sunday night can easily fall short of a relaxing evening. So, to keep my thoughts at bay, I'm going to prepare the ultimate in comfort food: cassoulet, a pork and bean casserole that hails from southern France.

Traditional cassoulet can be heavy and time-intensive, but I've found one that's luscious yet light — and takes less than an hour to prepare. Rather than using duck confit and pork sausage, the recipe employs boneless, skinless chicken thighs and turkey kielbasa. Interested yet? Check it out when you read more.

From Eating Well

Cassoulet-Style Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

2 15-ounce cans white beans, rinsed
3/4 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into thirds
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 pound low-fat turkey kielbasa, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Directions

Put 1/2 cup beans in a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add the remaining beans and set aside.
Toss breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon oil in a small bowl. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring often, until golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook until browned, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Add onion and garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add rosemary, thyme and pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine, increase heat to high and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits, until the wine has reduced by about half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add broth, water, kielbasa, the reserved beans and chicken; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Top with the toasted breadcrumbs and parsley.

Serves 6.

Nutritional information per serving: 370 calories; 13 g fat (3 g sat, 6 g mono); 68 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrates; 29 g protein; 10 g fiber; 749 mg sodium; 631 mg potassium.