Low Calorie Slow Cooker Pork and Sausage Cassoulet

Hi there and a big Happy New Year to all of my Shabby Creek friends!  It’s me Claire from A Little CLAIREification and I am so excited to kick off  2015 with the first slow cooker recipe of the year.

Every month I share a delicious crock pot recipe and today I bring you this amazing and easy Low Calorie Slow Cooker Pork and Sausage Cassoulet.

This is not only perfect for the chilly weather we are all having but it’s also a new year and so many of us may want to drop a few of those added holiday pounds, am I right?

This Cassoulet is jam packed with flavor and it’s so hearty that you won’t feel like you’re missing a thing at only 239 calories a serving.

Wait – what in the world is a “cassoulet”, you say?  I am so glad you asked.

Pronounced “cass-ooh-lay”, it is a traditional, provincial French stew of sorts that originates back to medieval times when peasants would “make do” with whatever they happened to have on hand.

There would almost always be some sort of dried beans added, some meat – usually duck or sausage – and maybe some vegetables too.

These days there are all sorts of varieties of cassoulet and today we are using some smoked sausage, some pork and even a little bit of bacon for extra flavor.  Stick with me on this one because the drippings from the bacon are really essential in getting that delicious, rich flavor that you really want in a cassoulet.

If I were using a fatty meat like duck, the same would apply but I thought we would use things that are quick and easy for everyone to find in this case.  So for this recipe we’ll take a couple of shortcuts without sacrificing flavor but you will want to have about 15-20 minutes for prep.  THEN you can throw it all into your slow cooker and walk away, I promise.

It is really so worth that little bit of prep in the end, even if you do it the night before.  I cannot tell you how much this hearty dish really hit the spot a few nights ago when temps dropped to around 34* – in central Florida that is COLD, y’all!

Sometimes I just want to bring you right up close to the recipe – the flavors here are just so robust.  The creaminess of the beans, the smokiness of the sausage, the tomatoes that have soaked up all of the herbs and juices, the tanginess of the shaved parmesan on top… So. Good.

Inevitably someone will ask whether the meat can be excluded and that really isn’t going to make a true cassoulet, but rather a vegetable stew, but you certainly could use chicken legs or thighs in place of the pork if you would like.  If not using bacon you would want to use a little pat of butter or olive oil in the skillet to prep those onions and herbs.

I know it seems like it shouldn’t be low calorie, but it is and it’s definitely packed with protein and it is really filling too.  I truly hate trying to lose weight and feeling like I can’t have delicious flavor and feel full.  That is the worst and it’s just not the case, especially with this easy “stick to your ribs” cassoulet.

I will also be completely honest so I can attest that this is fantastic served with a piece of crusty French bread but if you are cutting the carbs you’ll want to skip that part.

I really hope you enjoy it and I am looking forward to seeing you all back here in February.  Until then, stay warm and I am wishing you all a happy and healthy new year!

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Low Calorie Slow Cooker Sausage & Pork Cassoulet Recipe

by www.ALittleClaireification.com as inspired by Cooking Light Magazine

Ingredients:

2 bacon slices
2 cups chopped onion
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, NOT drained
2 (15-ounce) cans white cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
1 pound lean boneless pork ribs (can use a pork loin roast as well) trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup beef stock (can substitute chicken or vegetable stock)
8 teaspoons shaved or finely shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
6 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp.

Remove bacon from pan and set aside to cool.  Do not discard bacon drippings!

Add onion, thyme, rosemary, and garlic to the bacon drippings in pan and sauté 3 minutes or until tender.

Turn the slow cooker on to LOW heat and crumble the bacon.

Add the crumbled bacon, salt, pepper, and tomatoes to the onion mixture in the pan and bring to a boil –  about 3-4 minutes.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Place half of beans in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork until chunky.

Add the tomato mixture, mashed beans, remaining whole beans, sausage, pork and beef stock to the slow cooker (ALL ingredients except parmesan and parsley).

Stir, cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours (or HIGH for 2.5 hours).

Ladle into bowls.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley (optional).

Print

Low Calorie Slow Cooker Pork and Sausage Cassoulet

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword pork and sausage, Pork and Sausage Cassoulet, slow cooker

Ingredients

• 2 bacon slices
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, NOT drained
• 2 15-ounce cans white cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 pound lean boneless pork ribs can use a pork loin roast as well trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 pound smoked sausage cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup beef stock can substitute chicken or vegetable stock
• 8 teaspoons shaved or finely shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
• 6 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp.
2. Remove bacon from pan and set aside to cool. Do not discard bacon drippings!
3. Add onion, thyme, rosemary, and garlic to the bacon drippings in pan and sauté 3 minutes or until tender.
4. Turn the slow cooker on to LOW heat and crumble the bacon.
5. Add the crumbled bacon, salt, pepper, and tomatoes to the onion mixture in the pan and bring to a boil – about 3-4 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and set aside.
7. Place half of beans in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork until chunky.
8. Add the tomato mixture, mashed beans, remaining whole beans, sausage, pork and beef stock to the slow cooker (ALL ingredients except parmesan and parsley).
9. Stir, cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours (or HIGH for 2.5 hours).
10. Ladle into bowls.
11. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley (optional).