4 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 sweet Italian pork sausages (about 12 ounces)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (14.5-ounce) cans great northern or navy beans
1 small handful fresh thyme, tied together with kitchen twine
1 1/2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
Baguette, for serving
Method
Cook the bacon:
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon for 3 to 4 minutes stirring frequently, until it renders much of its fat but is not yet crisp. Transfer the bacon to a large plate.
Bacon cooking in skillet.
Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
Prep the chicken and sausages:
Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and black pepper. Prick each sausage with the tip of a paring knife in a couple of places. This will prevent them from bursting as they cook.
Cook the chicken and sausages:
In the same skillet used to cook the bacon, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat it over medium-high heat. No need to drain out the bacon grease. Add the chicken, skin side-down, and the sausages. You may need to do this in batches if the skillet is not large enough. Cook the meat until golden brown on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer them to the plate with the bacon one by one as they look ready.
Chicken thighs and Italian sausages cooking in skillet.
Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
Cook the onions and garlic:
Pour off and discard all but a thin layer of fat from the skillet. Return the skillet to the stove over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onions soften.
Assemble the cassoulet:
Transfer the cooked onions and garlic into a large (at least 4-quart) Dutch oven. Stir in the tomatoes, beans with their liquid, and thyme sprigs. Nestle in the bacon, chicken thighs, and sausages.
Bring the cassoulet to a simmer over medium heat. Adjust the heat to a steady simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes, until the chicken and sausages are cooked through. The chicken should measure 165ºF when an instant read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the meat.
Dutch oven with all of the cassoulet ingredients pre-cook.
Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
Turn on the broiler:
Set a rack about 8 inches from the broiler element and turn on the broiler.
Make the breadcrumbs:
In a small bowl, toss the breadcrumbs with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and parsley.
Remove and discard the thyme sprigs from the cassoulet. Evenly sprinkle in the breadcrumbs and place the Dutch oven into the oven to broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until the top browns. Watch it carefully—this only takes a minute or two. Remove the cassoulet from the oven and sprinkle in more parsley, if you’d like.
Ladle some beans into 4 shallow bowls. Top each bowl with a sausage and a chicken thigh. Serve with a baguette on the side and a large spoon to scoop up all the delicious juices.
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