White Bean And Sausage Cassoulet
This cozy White Bean and Sausage Cassoulet is hearty, flavorful, and packed with rustic charm. It’s a one-pan comfort food recipe that feels fancy but is surprisingly simple to make.

A classic French cassoulet is super hearty and full of slow-cooked meats like duck confit to make a rich meal. I wanted a version of a hearty and rich cassoulet that is accessible and easy to make! So this version keeps things simple with canned beans, sausage links, and a garlicky herb breadcrumb topping. It’s savory, herby, and has just a little kick if you go with spicy sausage!
This easy dinner recipe takes basic pantry stuff and turns it into something that feels really comforting. The tomatoes and beans get all stewy and flavorful thanks to the sausage and herbs, and that crunchy topping is so satisfying. Definitely grab some crusty bread to soak up every bit before serving!
What is a cassoulet?
Cassoulet is a rustic French dish made with white beans, slow-cooked meats (often sausage, duck, or pork), and aromatic herbs. It is known for its rich, hearty flavor and comforting texture. Traditionally cooked low and slow, cassoulet is the kind of cozy, stick-to-your-ribs meal that is especially popular in colder months.
Ingredients You Need
- Baguette: Use slightly stale baguette for the best texture if you can.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic adds depth to both the breadcrumbs and the bean mixture.
- Kosher Salt: To taste.
- Fresh Herbs: Herbs like rosemary, thyme and sage bring that classic French flavor. Use a mix or just one if that’s what you have.
- Olive Oil: Used to sauté the aromatics and coat the breadcrumb topping for crispness.
- Sausage: A mix of mild Italian and chorizo brings richness and a touch of spice, but you can use what you love!
- Onion: Sautéed until soft and sweet. .
- San Marzano Crushed Tomatoes: High-quality tomatoes like Tuttorosso make a big difference in flavor.
- Cannellini Beans: Creamy white beans that hold their shape and soak up flavor beautifully.
- Black Pepper: Just a touch balances the richness and brightens the dish.
- Bouquet Garni: A bouquet garni is a collection of fresh herbs tied together with string. Add extra herbs like sage, rosemary and thyme tied together or added loose and fished out later.
Variations & Substitutions
- No chorizo? Use all Italian sausage or swap in kielbasa or bratwurst.
- Vegetarian version: Skip the sausage and add sautéed mushrooms and smoked paprika for depth.
- Fresh herbs substitute: Use about 1 tsp of dried herbs (like an Italian blend) if you don’t have fresh. Just add them early so they have time to bloom.
- Beans: Great Northern or navy beans can also work in place of cannellini.
- Breadcrumbs: If you don’t have a baguette, use panko breadcrumbs or turn another crusty bread into crumbs!
How To Make This White Bean and Sausage Cassoulet Recipe
- Preheat and Prep Topping: Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a food processor, combine all ingredients for the breadcrumb mixture and pulse a few times. Set aside.
- Cook Sausages: In a skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Brown sausages on both sides, then set them aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: In the same pan, sauté the onion until translucent, then add garlic.
- Combine Beans and Tomatoes: Add beans and crushed tomatoes to the pan.
- Season: Season with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. Add a cup of water and simmer for 5 minutes until the liquid starts to reduce.
- Assemble and Bake: Arrange the sausages in the pan and top with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the breadcrumbs are toasted.
- Serve: Enjoy hot with crusty bread.

Tips for Success
- Brown the sausages well. Taking the time to sear the sausage on both sides adds a lot of flavor to the base and prevents the sausage from getting rubbery later.
- Deglaze with water or broth. After cooking the aromatics, use the tomato can rinse water or a splash of broth to pick up all the delicious brown bits from the pan.
- Use a Dutch oven or oven-safe skillet. That way you can go straight from stovetop to oven without needing to transfer the cassoulet. If you don’t have an oven safe skillet, then make sure to transfer the mixture to one before baking!
- Toast the breadcrumbs until golden. Keep an eye on the cassoulet during the final bake so the topping gets crispy but doesn’t burn.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this white bean and sausage cassoulet piping hot with plenty of crusty bread for scooping! You can eat it on its own with just a side of bread, or serve it with a salad like my golden beets and burrata salad or my lemon butter green bean salad! It also pairs beautifully with roasted vegetables, especially if you’re feeding a crowd!
Storage
Let the white bean cassoulet cool completely, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through or microwave individual portions. If the breadcrumbs soften, you can broil the top for a few minutes to re-crisp!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can prepare the cassoulet up to the point of adding the breadcrumbs, then refrigerate it. When ready to eat, top with breadcrumbs and bake until heated through and golden on top.
You can use any sausage that you’d like! I like to use sausage links so each person has their own sausage with the white bean mixture. You can use spicy chorizo, spicy Italian sausage, or a mild Italian sausage. As a healthier version, you can use chicken or turkey sausage instead! It would also work with a full keilbasa, and you can separate it when serving.
More Cozy Recipes to Try
- Beef and Cabbage Gratin
- Butter Beans Kale and Leek Soup
- Pumpkin Gnudi
- Mushroom and Sausage Forest Lasagna
- Easy Beef Stroganoff
White Bean And Sausage Cassoulet
Ingredients
BREADCRUMB TOPPING
- 1/4 baguette cubed
- 1 garlic clove minced
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs rosemary, thyme and sage
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
CASSOULET
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 sausages combination of mild Italian and chorizo
- 1 onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ can or 2 cups 28 ounces Tuttorosso San Marzano Hand Crushed Tomatoes
- 3 cans cannellini beans drained
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bouquet garni sage, thyme, and rosemary tied together
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a food processor add all ingredients for the breadcrumbs mixture. Pulse a few times to combine. Set aside.
- Preheat on a skillet or Dutch oven pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and sausages into the pan. Brown sausages on both sides. Take the sausages out of the pan and set aside.
- Lower the heat and into the same pan add the onion. Saute for a few minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and keep stirring.
- Add the beans and the Tuttorosso San Marzano Hand Crushed Tomatoes into the pan.
- Season with salt and black pepper and add the fresh herbs. Rinse the can with one cup of water and pour it into the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes until the liquids starts to reduce. Remove from the heat.
- Arrange the sausages into the pan, and top with breadcrumb mixture. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the breadcrumbs are toasted.
- Serve hot with crusty bread.