Butternut Squash Cassoulet Food

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CASSOULET

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Remove skin from garlic without peeling or separating the cloves. Wrap it in foil. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Let cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves, squeezing to extract the inside. Reserve half for another use.
• In a large pot on medium high heat, saute the pancetta 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove pancetta and set aside. Add onion and 1 tablespoon oil to drippings in pan and sauté 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 25 minutes to brown onion, stirring frequently until tender. Add vinegar.
• Raise oven to 375°.
• Add garlic pulp, pancetta, squash, broth, thyme, salt, pepper, cannellini, and bay leaf to onions, stirring well.
• Pulse bread in a food processor about 10 times to make 1 cup dry crumbs. Combine crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Sprinkle crumbs over squash mixture.
• Cover and bake for 50 minutes or until squash is tender. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until topping is browned. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with parsley.
• You can roast the garlic, carmelize the onions, and assemble the casserole all in advance if you want.

SLOW-COOKER CASSOULET

Steps:

• Combine beans, crushed garlic, onion, carrots, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves and meats in a slow cooker, and turn heat to high. (If you like, brown sausage and duck legs in a skillet before adding.) Add stock or water to cover by 2 inches. Cover and cook until beans and meats are tender, 5 to 6 hours on high heat, 7 hours or more on low.
• When done, add salt and pepper to taste, along with minced garlic. If you like, remove cassoulet from slow cooker, and place in a deep casserole; cover with bread crumbs and roast at 400 degrees until bread crumbs brown, about 15 minutes. Garnish and serve.