This one’s for Kat, who asked me about our favorite soup/stew recipes, and for Leann, who is looking for new and exciting ways to eat beans. This is one of our favorite cheap winter recipes, from the cookbook of Alice Robinson, an amazing hostess from my church growing up. We’ve also eaten it in Carcassonne, where I believe the meat was rabbit, not smoky links…
Slow Cooker Cassoulet
(1/2 cup chopped onion) –I don’t usually add because I prefer a bit of minced garlic
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 lb. cocktail-sized smoky links (or slices of kielbasa, or sausage, or any type of meat)
1 or 2 cans pork and beans (or red kidney beans, or whatever you have on hand)
(2 cups frozen baby lima beans) –I usually add pinto beans instead
2 c. frozen green beans
(1/3 cup packed brown sugar)–I don’t add anymore because we like it less sweet
1/2 cup catsup
1 T. vinegar
1 tsp. prepared mustard
2 bay leaves
In slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Stir to mix. Cook in slow cooker for 4-8 hours or can bake in covered 3 qt. casserole for 1 1/2 hours (stirring once after 20 minutes.
The great thing about this recipe, as you may see from all my adjustment notations, is that it’s a really basic recipe, but it’s really flexible with what kind of beans or veggies you like or have on hand. We’ve played around with different seasonings, but we think that the simple combination of catsup, mustard, and bay leaves is the best flavor for us. You can drain and rinse your canned beans before adding, or you can dump in the whole can for a little added sweetness. (That’s when we leave out the extra brown sugar to avoid feeling like we’re just eating baked beans.) Even if you add a bit of meat, it’s mainly a bean-based dish. By buying all Aldi canned beans and the little smokies on sale during the holidays, it ends up being very inexpensive. As Derek says (in his very limited French), “Je veux le cassoulet!!!”
Thanks Emily! I’m excited to try this recipe this winter.