Chef John's Quick Cassoulet Recipe

I have made the 3-day version of cassoulet from Paula Wolfert''s "The Cooking of Southwest France" that costs over $100 to make it according to the recipe, and the culinary scavenger hunt took over a month to gather the ingredients. I have made Julia Child's version from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Both were very time consuming but delicious. I've had exquisite cassoulet in France. This recipe rivals them all at a much lower expenditure of both time and money. And it is much more heart healthy. Can be done in the evening after work. It is even better the second day. I used homemade chicken stock and chicken breasts since we were snowed in and had no chicken thighs, which would be a lot better. Bravo, Chef John!

What to do with a leftover smoked duck you got from a guest ?...I searched and felt this would work and it was awesome. Had fresh everything to make it and used chopped duck breast and bacon as the meats. Added 1tbs chopped garlic and 2 stalks celery and mashed more of the beans than asked. Unsalted butter was correct. Gourmet caliber and iron fry pan was the vessel. Pure soul food. Will def make again.

This was fantastic! For once I changed almost nothing. I put in 1 1/2 teaspoons of minced garlic with the onions, but that was it. Cooked the bacon in a microwave pan because I didn't want to babysit it over the stove and then put the drippings in my cast iron skillet and did everything else in that. The broiling and resting instructions worked perfectly (I have high and low broil settings in my oven, and I used low.) I ended up using 2 1/3 c. of chicken stock and 1/2 t. of cayenne. My husband said it was "outstanding," and he's a tough critic. Posted a photo on Facebook, and now everyone's demanding I make it for them! I'm a big Chef John fan, and this recipe is another home run!

This tastes incredible, although I'm having leftovers right now, and I have to say: The fresh-out-of-the-oven version is much better, because the crust is much crispier on day one and that makes a big difference. That being said, it's honestly excellent regardless of whether it's eaten fresh or as leftovers. It's on the heavier side, as there are a substantial amount of meats, a buttery crust, and beans that act almost like a mashed potato, but the gentle flavors of the rosemary and thyme and the spiciness of the cayenne give the dish some lift, so to speak. I didn't make any substantial changes, but I did use more like 2 tsp of thyme, and a little more sausage and chicken than called for since I had it. I also forgot to use black pepper. I used a sweet onion and regular smoked sausage. And everything went into the cast iron skillet, which always works well for range-to-oven transitions. I did forget to simmer on medium-high heat before putting in the oven (instead, i left it on low), and I do think this may have ultimately affected the crispiness of the crust. So I'd try to remember that step next time.

I omitted the cayenne and the topping. I added a can of diced tomatoes 1/2 c of white wine and a pint of mushrooms . I cooked it in my crockpot and served it on rice. We loved it!

This is one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth--and I've eaten at some 5 star Michelin rated establishments. As a result, I have made it several times. While I have used chicken breast meat it is definitely better with the chicken thighs. I also think the chicken bone broth adds more flavor than regular chicken broth. I've also made it using several types of white beans, such as great northern and navy. It doesn't have to be cannellini. Maybe because the pan I use is a lot wider than a regular cast iron skillet, I like to double the bread crumb topping. I suggest you try this recipe, It is not that much work and the flavor is out of this world.

THis had good flavor and was easy to do. I used a dutch oven to prepare and it was great.

A few changes for the next time. Cut down on the bread crumbs by half. And more bacon, but don't add until the very end before putting it I to the oven. And a little less sausage

Amazing!!!! My family loved this. One of this loves to eat the classic cassoulet with duck fat, but saw we were making this simplified version ...she was very impressed...people went for seconds. Absolutely amazing and hearty. I doubled the recipe and we were 10 people and it was a perfect amount. The only changes I made was sauteing garlic with the onions because garlic and onions are just a couple that shouldn't be separated. :) I used half hot turkey sausage and half chourico as my sausage component and I used a casserole dish since I don't have a iron skillet. An amazing comfort dish, will definitely be making for guests and the family again!! Thanks!!

Made this for my very picky husband. He actually stopped eating and said how rich and delicious this dish was. Wanted the leftovers for lunch. And this man never has leftovers. Only change on recipe was chicken thighs with bones. So I simmered the dish for 30 minutes prior to broiling. Thanks for a dish I will be making for dinner guests. It’s just that good.

Well, I followed the recipe but just was worried about all the bread crumbs. As I feared the whole thing turned into a sticky mass of glop. The flavor was somewhat masked by the bready taste of the crumbs. Next time I’ll cut the topping down by half. It was all going so well until the end . . .

I've made this dish several times, and I like it more each time! Made with good simple ingredients, it is very tasty.

Tried this last night with my sister — we loved it!

I followed this recipe as it is written and appreciate that it is a time saving version of a more complicated recipe. I think next time though, I would incorporate tomato, tomato paste and wine. The bread crumb crust cooks up crisper when baked for the longer recipes. Personally, I prefer that but like I said, I appreciate this recipe as a time saver. I had meant to add some kale to mine but forgot it in a hurry. By the way, this recipe will serve more than four, much more, easily 8 if you are adding a salad.

I used chicken sausage and leftover duck from a restaurant meal. Next time more meats, but this is a wonderful recipe.

Chef John's recipes have been outstanding. However, this one was not a wowzer. Just ok.

Fun to make and very good to eat. I did not know what to expect with this recipe since I’ve never really heard of it before. It was quite good. I may have oversalted it a bit. But it’s still absolutely delicious

This was exactly what I was looking for - not an over the top time commitment like making the traditional version. I would add a bit more liquid, but otherwise it was creamy, delicious goodness.

Outstanding! I made it with andouille sausage and added 2 cloves of garlic- otherwise followed recipe as written (with a pinch of cayenne). Will definitely make this again. Thanks, Chef John!

Made this dish and it is great! I did add some chicken breast cubed as my wife is not a big fan of chicken thighs . I can't wait to try the leftovers as some have mentioned it is even better after being in the fridge overnight.