Cassoulet-Style Chicken Thighs

From EatingWell: February/March 2006, EatingWell Serves Two — Subscribe Now!

Classic cassoulet recipes can take days to make and of course contain rashers of duck, smoked meats and the like. This version keeps it simple and not quite so rich with one skillet, healthier ingredients like low-fat kielbasa, and just 45 minutes to prepare.

READER'S COMMENT:

"This was comfort food extraordinaire! I used some bone-in, skin on chicken thighs I got on sale. I de-skinned them and just let them cook for about 15 minutes in the final step. Then we were able to take the meat off the bones. The flavor...

6 servings

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

2 15-ounce cans white beans, rinsed
3/4 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs, (see Tip)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into thirds
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 pound low-fat turkey kielbasa, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Preparation

Put 1/2 cup beans in a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add the remaining beans and set aside.
Toss breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon oil in a small bowl. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring often, until golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook until browned, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Add onion and garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add rosemary, thyme and pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine, increase heat to high and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits, until the wine has reduced by about half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add broth, water, kielbasa, the reserved beans and chicken; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Top with the toasted breadcrumbs and parsley.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Tip: To make fresh breadcrumbs: Trim crusts from firm sandwich bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor into coarse crumbs. One slice of bread makes about 1/3 cup crumbs.

Nutrition

Per serving: 370 calories; 13 g fat (3 g sat, 6 g mono); 68 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrates; 29 g protein; 10 g fiber; 749 mg sodium; 631 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Fiber (41% daily value), Folate (37% dv), Iron (20% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 vegetable, 4 lean meat