Quick Sausage Cassoulet

    
     For all of you Francophiles or those of you who have tasted a true, slow roasted Cassoulet, please accept my apologies for this quick knock off of a French classic.  An authentic Cassoulet is made with beans, salt pork, lamb, goose or duck, rendered goose or duck fat and several kinds of sausage.  It is a labor of love and may take up to a week to prepare all the ingredients in advance before assembling them into an, earthy, farmhouse casserole.  Someday I hope to attempt the traditional version but in the meantime this Quick Sausage Cassoulet from Land O'Lakes has the basic elements of this famous dish and can be made in your camp oven in 30 minutes.  This baked easily in my 8 inch oven with room to spare.  Saute the garlic, onion and carrots over a full compliment of coals.  Once the onions have softened, move the bottom coals to a ring of 8 around the outside, add the rest of the ingredients and bake with 12-14 coals on the lid.  In 25 minutes the beans were bubbling and my mouth was watering from the aroma of garlic and fresh thyme emanating from my dutch oven.  I didn't expect much from this shortcut Cassoulet but was pleasantly surprised and would highly recommend it for a filling campfire dinner.

Quick Sausage Cassoulet
2 Tblsp olive oil OR butter
2 medium (1/2 cup) carrots, chopped
1 medium (1/2 cup) onion, chopped
1 tsp finely chopped fresh garlic
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans great Northern or navy beans, rinsed, drained
1/2 pound kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp dried or fresh thyme leaves
2 Tblsp chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup dried bread crumbs
2 Tblsp melted butter

     Combine parsley, bread crumbs and melted butter in small bowl; set aside.
     Saute carrots, onion and garlic in olive oil or butter over a full compliment of coals; cook until onions are softened (3-5 minutes).
     Combine kielbasa, tomato sauce, thyme and beans in a medium sized bowl.
     Add to vegetables in dutch oven, stirring until well combined.
     Sprinkle with bread crumb topping.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until bubbling and browned on top.
     Serves 4.

Saute onion, garlic and carrots over a full compliment of coals

Add kielbasa, beans, tomato sauce and herbs

Top with buttered bread crumbs

Bake at 350 degrees or until bubbling and browned

Short on preparation time but long on flavor