Chicken Cassoulet for a Full Moon and Lots of Friends

I love this dish.  Its a bit of prep work, but its not difficult.  I have been working on making the prep work more managble and have updated the recipe.  I make it when I have a lot of really close friends coming over for dinner or if I am in a "cozy" mood.  My sister, her boyfriend and her two good friends came to visit me this month and I made it for them.  It was just what we needed after a day of beer and wine tasting in the country.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 package bacon sliced into small pieces
1 large sweet onions diced
1 pounds Chicken Breast chopped into 1/4 inch cubes
1 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 + 1 cup chicken stock
3 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 Tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 Tbsp. parsley (use fresh if you have it)
1 tsp. sage (use fresh if you have it)
1/4 tsp. thyme (optional)
2 links Low Fat Turkey or Chicken Sausage chopped into 1/4 inch slices (Hillshire Farms or Jennie-O lean kielbasa sausage works great, however just use one large link, Jennie-O Lean Mild Turkey Sausage, or any other low-fat turkey or chicken sausage will work; you can also simply use a whole package of bacon and leave the sausage out)
1 cup baby carrots cut in half (or 1 cup carrots, cut carrot in half lengthwise, then into 1 inch long slices)
1 (15 oz.) can Cannellini beans (Great Northern Beans)
1/4 stick (2 Tbsp.) butter
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp. parsley

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Fry bacon in a large saute pan.  Once bacon is crisp, place on plate with paper towels to drain; reserve oil. 

Put 1 Tbsp. reserved bacon oil in the same (unwashed) saute pan and cook onions at medium heat until soft.  Put onion on plate and set aside. 

Put 1 Tbsp. reserved bacon oil in the same (unwashed) saute pan and cook chicken until done (approximately 8 minutes). 

If using precooked suasage, then skip this step.  If your sausage is raw, cook it over medium heat in a saute pan until done.  Set aside.

Mix tomatoes, wine, garlic, salt, pepper, 1/2 Tbsp.  parsley, sage, thyme together in a mixing bowl.  Set aside.

Evenly distribute, bacon, chicken, sausage, onions and carrots in a 13X9 inch casserole dishes (I use a cast iron casserole dish with a lid that is oven safe).  Cover evenly with the tomato mixture.  Pour two cups of chicken broth evenly over the casserole.  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake covered for 45 minutes.  Remove the casserole from oven, add remaining cup of chicken stock and beans to casserole; and mix.  Bake covered for 30 more minutes.

While casserole is baking, melt butter in a saute pan; and mix with 1 tsp. parsley and breadcrumbs; cook until lightly browned over medium heat.  Remove the casserole from the oven and top the casserole with the bread crumb mixture (make sure to spread bread crumbs evenly).  Bake uncovered 30 more minutes.  Serve hot.  Can be served with rice, but it is great alone too.

Tip:
Since this takes some time to prepare, I often double the recipe.  Then simply freeze one casserole.  To do this, simply follow the steps above, except double everything.  Then distribute the bacon, chicken, sausage, onions and carrots evenly between two 13X9 inch casserole dishes (I use a cast iron casserole dish with a lid that is oven safe). Cover each casserole evenly with half the tomato mixture. Pour two cups of chicken broth evenly over the casserole you plan to bake.  Follow reamining instructions for the casserole you are baking.  Freeze the other casserole and add the chicken broth prior to cooking.  Simply thaw, mix in chciken broth, then follow cooking instructions above, and remember to add the breadcrumbs.  You can also store the 2nd batch in tubberware in the freezer, then thaw and then pour into a casserole dish before baking.

Serves 6-8.