Texas Sheet Cake

Earlier this week I was on the verge of having a meltdown causing me to be a bit more distractible than usual. Unable to access my blog posts along with being unable to figure it out by myself (the double whammy), I gave up (the slightly unrealistic) hope it would magically fix itself and decided my only option was to pack up my laptop and drive over to the Apple store near where I live (there are times when living close to civilization has its' benefits). To make a long story short, the issue was resolved some 2 1/2 hours later with the cost of all of this simply being my time. Solution or no solution, cost or no cost, just walking into a store where the first words you hear are 'we won't let you leave here until we find a solution' makes you feel compelled to sing their customer service praises in your loudest voice from the highest rooftop. For the moment, my blog will have to suffice for a virtual rooftop.

It was during my short, yet heightened state of distraction when I started making this Texas Sheet Cake. Tossing two cups of flour, two cups of sugar, 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa, some baking powder, cinnamon, and kosher salt into the garbage and a trip to the grocery store midway through the baking process were, thankfully, the only tangible costs paid for my distractibility. If there was any good to come out of my baking faux pas, it was a reminder why one should carefully read a recipe (maybe more than once). Especially when making something for the first time. 

If you have never heard of a Texas Sheet Cake before it may be because it is one of those cakes going by a long list of names: Texas Sheath Cake, Texas Ranch Cake, Mexican Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Sheet Brownies, Buttermilk Sheet Cake, Chocolate Brownie Cake, German's Chocolate Cake, and Aunt Velma's Chocolate Cake to name a few. This easily prepared single layer cake, one often served right out of the sheet pan, has also been called 'the little black dress of chocolate cakes'. Some claim this cake originated and was popularized in the South sometime in the 1950s, others have given credit to Lady Bird Johnson for the cake's creation (a good story, like one of those tall Texas tales that isn't true). Regardless of who or where it was first created, it managed to go viral in the days well before the creation of the internet. Note: You can learn more about this cakes' origin here.

The Texas Sheet Cake is comprised of two parts: a thin, rich chocolatey, almost fudge-like cake layer and a rich, dense, slightly gooey chocolatey icing layer topped with toasted pecans. And the only mixing utensils needed are a whisk, a spatula, and a wooden spoon. 

Unsweetened cocoa is used in both the cake layer as well as in the icing. I used Hershey's Special Dark unsweetened cocoa but any unsweetened cocoa would work. Because this cake uses baking powder and not baking soda you could substitute Dutch-processed cocoa for the unsweetened chocolate. Note: The Dutch-processed cocoa is darker in color and slightly more mellow in taste. 

After reviewing more than a dozen recipes for Texas Sheet Cake, I noticed the greatest differences amongst them was in the amount of cocoa used in the cake layer, ranging anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup. The recipe from Serious Eats called for 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa. That seemed to make the most sense. Knowing coffee deepens the flavor of chocolate, I decided to swap out the 1 cup of water for 1 cup of freshly brewed coffee (something I later learned, when I was less distracted, was a swap made in other early versions of the recipe). It was a great swap. The boost in chocolate flavor could probably be achieved using 1/2 cup of freshly brewed coffee and 1/2 cup of water. You can decide how intense of a chocolate flavor you want in this cake.

Let me momentarily slip into my Miss Bossy Pants persona. Always, always, always, always toast your nuts when adding them to cakes, cookies, and/or brownies. For those of you slightly adverse to hearing anyone give an edict or a hard and fast rule, let me make a case for this one. Toasting nuts intensifies their flavor. As the oils from the nuts are released during the baking process, they become slightly crispier, take on very subtle notes of caramel, and their raw bitterness notes are significantly suppressed. In other words, a baked nut has more flavor and more crunch than unbaked ones. In 8-10 minutes, in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven, a single layer of pecans on a baking sheet will become deeper in color and release a fragrance you wish you could bottle. More importantly, in less than 10 minutes this simple step will take your baked goods from good to GREAT! Given the choice between those two outcomes, why would anyone settle for just good? It would be nuts not to toast them! Okay, enough said. Miss Bossy Pants is now leaving the room.

The size of the sheet pan or rather jelly roll pan matters. Too small or too large and the ratio of cake to frosting will be off. Additionally, adjustments to the baking time would need to be made. My 12"x17" jelly roll pan worked perfectly. Baked for 19-23 minutes in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven, the cake is done when is easily springs back when you lightly press down with your finger and it begins to pull away from the sides. 

The rich chocolate icing is poured over a warm (not hot) cake. The chopped, toasted nuts are sprinkled on top immediately after the icing is poured and evenly spread over the cake. Some Texas Sheet Cake recipes call for mixing the pecans into the icing (versus sprinkling them on top), however, I like the look (and texture) of having the nuts grace the top of the cake. Sort of like adding a string of pearls to this 'little black dress of chocolate cakes'. 

This cake is perfect for large formal or informal gatherings. You can simply put out the Texas Sheet Cake in its' pan on the table along with a knife and spatula and let everyone take as much or little as they want. Or cut it up into squares and place in cupcake papers. 

I imagine buttermilk may be the only 'milk' left on the shelves out east this weekend. For those of you in the midst of the winter storm, make this cake and feel free to give this Texas Sheet Cake yet another name. Chocolate Blizzard Cake anyone?

Recipe
Texas Sheet Cake (inspired by a Texas Sheet Cake recipe posted on Serious Eats)

Ingredients
Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup (16 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup freshly brewed coffee, slightly cooled (Or 1/2 cup coffee and 1/2 cup water or 1 cup water)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing
1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound confectionary sugar, sifted
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted and chopped (Note: Toast the pecans before you begin assembling the cake.)

Directions
Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 12"x17" inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Spray pan with vegetable oil and lightly dust with flour. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Whisk in unsweetened cocoa. When mixture is smooth, whisk in coffee. Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
5. Pour cocoa mixture over flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Stir in egg mixture until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and/or cake springs back when lightly pressed with your finger. Approximately 19-23 minutes.
6. Set pan on a cooling rack.

Icing
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in cocoa powder. Take off heat.
2. Stir in buttermilk, salt and vanilla. Add 1/2 of the confectionary sugar, whisking until combined.
3. Whisk in water, the remaining confectionary sugar until icing is smooth.
4. Pour over warm cake. Smooth with an offset spatula. Immediately top with toasted, chopped pecans.
5. Allow icing to set. Cut into squares and/or serve in the pan along with a knife and spatula.

In and around McKinney, Texas (September 2015)

Smashed Sliders and Baked Oven Matchstick Fries

If I expanded my daily social media exposure beyond Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to all of the other ever expanding platforms out there I would, more than likely, suffer from so much visual overload it would cause permanent sleeplessness. My mind would be racing continuously. If I went down further into the social media platforms rabbit hole, there is no telling if I would ever remember what a good night's sleep ever felt like. Yet, not all of this browsing/searching/connecting/learning/sharing time is wasted. More often than not, I come across posts or photos that challenge me or inspire me. And, of course, I also come across some immediately eliciting an audible 'seriously?'. It has taken awhile but I am becoming slightly less gullible.

For years food gurus have told us it would be a mistake, even a crime, to press down on a burger during the cooking process. But this is only partly true. There is a reason why there are lines of people willingly waiting to order a hamburger at Shake Shack. And it's not just the potato bun and secret sauce that separates these burgers from all others. The golden brown crust on the burger created in the smashing process elevates its' taste factor to Gastromonic Nirvana.

The day I read Bon Appetit's smash burger post, I thought 'seriously?'. But this time my skepticism gave way to one of my Achilles heels, gullibility. For those of you who consider this as some sort of personality flaw or a quality slightly inconsistent for anyone possessing a high degree of book smarts (did I tell you I have a doctorate degree?) I will not be surprised if you reconsider that particular (narrow) point of view once you tasted one of these smashed sliders.

Did you know Shake Shack uses Martin's Potato Rolls? Well, now you do. And they are the exact same ones we can buy at the grocery stores! For the best hamburger taste, use the highest-quality, highest meat to fat ratio (80/20) you can find. No need to ask your butcher to make a custom blend, Ground Chuck delivers incredibly great flavor because of course, fat is where the flavor is at. Thick slices of American Cheese (the yellow stuff, the full fat stuff), lettuce, tomatoes, hamburger dill pickles, and secret sauce are all you need to make the absolutely best, most perfect slider at home. Well, there is one more thing.

A cast iron pan. If there was ever a reason to buy one, these Smashed Sliders is reason enough. So the next time you are out antiquing or browsing at estate (tag) sales, look for one or two. If that isn't your thing, Lodge makes really good cast iron pans. Thin or non-stick frying pans will not work.

While the cast iron skillet heats up, keep your sliders in the refrigerator. You want them to be cold. Other than salting (peppering optional) the sliders once they hit the hot (unoiled) pan, these burgers need no other seasonings or ingredients. If making full sized smashed burgers, use 3 -3 1/2 ounces of the ground chuck. For the smashed sliders, use 2 - 2 1/2 ounce balls of meat. Before placing on the hot skillet, slightly loosen the beef balls. This helps to create the nooks and crannies needed for meat/fat to caramelize. Press down hard using a heavy spatula or meat pounder (you want them to be about 1/2 inch thick). After cooking the sliders for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes flip them.

Cook for approximately one minute, then place cheese on top and cover the pan. They will be ready when the cheese has melted. Note: If you like your sliders more medium to medium well, cook for about 2 minutes then add cheese and cover.

There are many versions of 'secret sauce' out there. This one is a slight variation from Epicurious. It is nothing more than mayonnaise, (yellow) mustard, ketchup, juice from a jar of kosher hamburger dill pickles, garlic powder, onion flakes (or powder), and sweet smoked paprika.

Before assembling the sliders, melt some butter in a heavy skillet and toast the inside of the potato rolls.

If making these Smashed Sliders as an appetizer, you don't really need fries to go with them. A nice touch, but not absolutely necessary. But if you are serving them for a meal, fries are an absolute must. I much prefer long thin crispy fries versus wedges. And these oven baked matchstick fries couldn't be easier to make.

Use either Idaho or Russet potatoes (I used Idaho potatoes). Cut the entire potato (keeping skins on) into matchsticks. Toss lightly with vegetable oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and arrange single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet lined with (heavy duty) aluminum foil. The fries are baked in a preheated 450 degree oven for approximately 25-35 minutes (turning once midway through the baking process to ensure evenness in baking). When they have browned and crisped, remove from oven, toss again with some sea salt and serve. With ketchup of course.

Now, no matter where you live or what hour of the day (or night) it is, these Smashed Sliders and Baked Oven Matchstick Fries are within your reach. Great slider ingredients (remember only buy an 80/20 blend here), a cast iron skillet, Martin's potato rolls, and secret sauce are all you need to satisfy everyone's cravings for a smashed slider. These are SO incredible, you may never cook them any other way again. Forget using the grill, unless of course you plan on placing your cast iron skillet on the grill grates. Your gullible friends may think you are serving them sliders from one of those 'famous' burger restaurants. Your non-gullible friends will think 'does he/she think I really believe these are homemade?'. Either way you all win.

Recipe
Smashed Sliders and Baked Oven Fries (inspiration for the Secret Sauce from Epicurious; for the smashed sliders from Bon Appetit; and, for the baked oven fries from The Minimalist Baker)
Makes 6 sliders

Ingredients
Sliders
1 1/4 pounds ground beef chuck (20% fat/80% lean)
Kosher salt
6 slices of thickly cut American cheese (the yellow stuff)
6 sliced potato rolls from the package of 12 (highly recommend Martin's Sliced Potato Rolls)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Vegetable oil for pan

Secret Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon juice from jar of Kosher Hamburger Dill Chips or Pickles (recommend Mt. Olive Hamburger Dill Chips)
1 Tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion flakes or onion powder

Fries
2 Large Idaho potatoes (or 3-4 russet potatoes)
1/4 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
Sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or up to 1 full teaspoon)
Ketchup

Directions
Sliders
1. Heat a cast iron skillet until very hot.
2. Grab a handful (2 1/2-3 ounces) of ground chuck and press directly on hot skillet using a spatula or meat pounder. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
3. After 2 - 2 1/2 minutes, flip burgers (they should be crispy on the bottom the edges craggy).
4. Cook for 1 minute, place a slice a cheese on each slider, cover and cook until cheese melts (approximately 1 - 1 1/2 minutes). 
5. Put cooked sliders on a potato bun toasted on a hot skillet (use about 1 Tablespoon of unsalted butter for 3 buns). Spread secret sauce on top of one side of the toasted bun. Layer the slider with a slice of tomato, kosher hamburger dill pickles and crispy lettuce (recommend iceburg). Serve immediately.
Note:  Because the burgers cook quickly, you can make these sliders in batches. Do not crowd the cast iron skillet with too many burgers.

Secret Sauce
1. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, sweet smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion flakes (or onion powder) until well blended. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Fries
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with heavy duty aluminum foil and lightly oil with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Cut potatoes into matchsticks, by first cutting the potato in half lengthwise, then cutting each half into 1/4 inch slices. Then cut the slices into strips (at or less than 1/4 inch in width).
3. Toss matchstick potatoes with 1/4 cup vegetable (or canola) oil, sprinkle with sea salt (and pepper if you would like). Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets.
4. Bake for 25-35 minutes, turning midway through the baking process. Fries are done when golden and crispy. Sprinkled baked fries with additional sea salt and serve immediately.

Swedish Cinnamon and Cardamom Buns

My first thought upon seeing these almost too beautiful to eat Swedish Cinnamon and Cardamom Buns posted by a fellow foodblogger was 'I need to make them'. This was immediately followed by 'these look a little beyond my pastry and bread making skill set'. Being someone who is currently having significant difficulty wrapping my head around motor planning through a burpee, I wondered if making these buns would be another one of those challenges getting the best of me. Having my self-esteem take two hits in one week would border on a form of self-abuse I was pretty certain wasn't exactly in my best interest. If there was at least one consolation, it would be no one would be able to publicly see me struggling with one of them.

In spite of reading the recipe and pouring over Johanna Kindvall's one-dimensional drawings on forming each of the individual Swedish Cinnamon and Cardamom Buns, I still couldn't wrap my head around how she got them to look so beautiful. Could a trip to bakeries in Sweden, a virtual trip via YouTube that is, take me from feeling clueless to being Swedish bun (Kardemummabullar) I CAN do this confident? YES! Not only did I finally have that 'ah-ha' moment, I became so entrenched in watching Swedish videos I think I may have qualified for Swedish citizenship.

If I said these Swedish Cinnamon and Cardamom Buns were similar to Cinnamon Rolls I may inadvertently be misleading you or risk offending someone somewhere. And if I said they were much easier to make than Cinnamon Rolls, yet equally as delicious, I wonder if you will believe me considering all of my initial trepidations. I suppose you will just have to make them to decide for yourself. Or miss out knowing how OMG, melt in your mouth, delectable they are.

Here are some of the reasons why they are easier to make than traditional American cinnamon rolls: (1) you don't need a standing mixer with a dough hook, the dough simply comes together with your hands; (2) you don't need to feel like you are getting an arm workout kneading the dough, as in less than 5 minutes the dough becomes smooth and has the perfect elasticity; and (3), you don't need to wait hours for the first dough rise, it doubles in size in approximately an hour if placed in a warm, draft-free space.

If there was ever a dough to cure anyone suffering from dough-phobia, this would be it. I knew from the taste and texture of the dough alone that these Swedish Cinnamon and Cardamom Buns would be incredible.

After dividing the 'after the first rise' dough in half, it is rolled out into a 12"x18" rectangle. Half of the butter-cinnamon-cardamom mixture is spread evenly over the dough (all the way to the edges) before folding the dough in half. Now this is where I could tell you to cut the dough into approximately 1 1/4- 1 1/2 inch strips, then cut each strip in half (without cutting into the fold), first twisting each side of the strip then braiding both sides of the strip together, wrapping into a bun and placing on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. But if you too are more of a visual learner, here is a link to one of the videos that made the bun formation process easy to understand (seen shortly after the video's 6 minute mark). One of the more humorous videos watched demonstrated another way of forming these buns (about 2 minutes into the video). The point of sharing both of these two techniques with you (don't forget to look at Johanna's drawings) is that there is almost no way you can mess them up.

Once the dough is formed into these gorgeous buns, they are covered and allowed to rise for additional 45-60 minutes (or until puffy).

All of the 'second rising' buns are brushed with beaten egg and sprinkled with Swedish pearl sugar (my favorite is made my Lars and can be found at some grocery store or speciality food stores as well as bought on Amazon.)

Be generous with your sprinkling of the Swedish Pearl Sugar.

In a preheated 425 degree (F) oven, the Swedish Cinnamon and Cardamom Buns bake for approximately 8-10 minutes. Note: My baking time was between 9:30 and 10 minutes. I put one baking sheet into the oven at a time rather than risk having both pans of buns come out looking and baking differently.

Immediately remove the baked buns from the baking sheet and transfer to a cooling rack. Keeping the buns on the hot baking pan may cause them to continue baking, which will cause them to lose their moistness. Don't resist the temptation to eat them while they are still warm.

Cardamom is a spice with a strong, unique taste. Serious Eats describes cardamom's difficult to describe complex flavor as 'part-nostril widening menthol, part dew-drenched flower, part-honeyed syrup'. If you are unfamiliar with its' taste, these buns would be a great place to first experience it, particularly due its' pairing with cinnamon. Yes it is on the expensive side. But spice stores and some grocery stores (like Whole Foods) allow to buy 'what you need' from their spice bins.

While they are equally delicious room temperature, I couldn't help but want to recreate the taste of warm baked dough. So I heated them up (on low power) in the microwave. They were perfect.

It just so happened that I made these Swedish Cinnamon and Cardamom Buns while the person who shall remain nameless was traveling for work. To add insult to injury I texted him a photo of these over the top deliciously beautiful buns as soon as they came out of the oven. It wasn't that I was being wicked, I just couldn't contain my enthusiasm for being able to make buns I thought were destined to send my self-confidence plummeting. Before you go and start thinking too ill of me, I froze half of them. So when he returns back home I will reheat them in the microwave and he can experience their hot out of the oven scrumptiousness. Having already reheated one of these frozen buns, I learned they freeze and reheat incredibly well.

If watching more than my fair share of videos on youtube gave me the confidence I needed to form these beautiful Swedish Cinnamon and Cardamom Buns, maybe I should consider watching some youtube how-to burpees videos. Especially if I want to stop looking and feeling so uncoordinated in public. Although watching extremely fit people do burpees effortlessly may do even more irreparable harm to my self-esteem. Think if I bring in a platter of these gorgeous eye-candy Swedish Cinnamon and Cardamom Buns to my next circuit training class no one will see (or remember) the ungraceful burpee attempts being made by this aging ex-cheerleader? Possibly.

Recipe
Swedish Cinnamon and Cardamom Buns (inspired by Johanna Kindvall's Kardemummabullar (Cardamom Buns) as shared on her blog Pantry Confidential)

Ingredients
Dough
7 Tablespoons (99 grams) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups (638 grams) all-purpose-flour
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling
7 Tablespoons (99 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (99 grams) granulated sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cardamom

Topping
1 large egg, beaten
Pearl sugar (recommend Lars Pearl Sugar)

Directions
1. Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in milk, heating until warm to the touch (110 degrees F).
2. In a smal bowl, dissolve yeast in 2 to 3 Tablespoons of warm butter/milk mixture. Stir and let mixture sit until bubbles form on the top of the yeast. Note: Keep reserved milk/butter mixture.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Add the yeast mixture along with remaining butter/milk mixture. Work together with your hands until you can form the dough into a ball.
4. Transfer the dough to a flat surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic (approximately 3-5 minutes). Notes: (1) The dough should feel moist, however, if it sticks to your fingers add a small amount of flour. (2) The dough is fully kneaded when you slice into with a sharp knife and see small air  bubbles throughout.
5. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a clean towel, and place in a warm, draft free place to rise until doubled in size (approximately 1 hour).
6. Before the dough has finished rising, make filling. Cream together the room temperature butter, sugar, and spices until the mixture is an evenly mixed and spreadable paste. Set aside.
7. After the dough has finished rising, cut the dough in half. Roll one half out on a flat, lightly floured surface into a 12 inch by 18 inch rectangle. Place the rectangle on the surface so that the long side is closest to you.
8. Carefully spread half of the filling on half of the dough, bringing the filling to edges of the dough. Fold the dough in half (should have a 6 inch by 18 inch rectangle). Slice into 12-14 equally sized pieces. Cut, twist, and shape into buns, placing them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with second half of the dough. Note: Either look at Johanna Kindvall's post or watch the youtube videos linked above.
9. Cover the buns with a clean flour sack or tea towel and let rise for 45-60 minutes, or until puffy.
10. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F).
11. Brush the buns with an egg wash and sprinkle generously with pearl sugar. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating pans from front to back halfway through the baking.
12. Transfer baked buns to a cooling rack. Serve warm or cool completely. Buns can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer and reheated in the microwave.

White Bean and Sausage Casserole

The likelihood of escaping those frigid winter temperatures arriving here in the midwest this week has about the same odds as winning a billion dollar lottery. It is after all winter. But, hey who needs pragmatism when you have the option of optimism! Spoiled by winter's relatively mild onset, this below degree weather has been a shock to the system. Hopefully this will be nothing more than a blip on the radar and we can return back to balmy 30 degree temperatures. More than likely, the thought of 30 degree weather now seems state of emergency, dangerously cold to my warm weather friends in Arizona and South Carolina, one of whom having spent her entire life in the midwest. But all good-intentioned teasing aside, it is genuinely amazing how quickly one's body acclimates to one's geographical location. Regardless of what the thermometer reads, warmth and cold are all relative, pragmatically speaking of course. Remind me I said this when my inner whimptress starts whining about running in the 'hot' summer weather or as soon as we again see 50 degree temperatures.

Cold weather always causes me to crave hot out of the oven or off the stove foods. When I came across a recipe for this White Bean and Sausage Casserole I couldn't help but think it was a simpler version of a French cassoulet, the hearty, deeply flavored, slow-cooked casserole made with beans and a wide assortment of meats. Like a cassoulet, this White Bean and Sausage Casserole is also a relatively inexpensive dish to make. Served with a fresh loaf of crusty bread, a salad, and of course some wine, there is an understated elegance to this simple, rustic meal. And it is a perfect cold weather dish.

Unlike a cassoulet, you don't have to soak the beans overnight. Canned white cannellini beans are the delicious time saver and hold up well in this casserole. Instead of pork or pork sausage, this casserole uses both mild/sweet and hot Italian sausage. More on the ratio of these two types of sausages to follow. In addition, to fresh tomatoes, parsley, and thyme, the base layer of the casserole includes white wine and roasted garlic.

Finding good fresh tomatoes can sometimes be dicey during the winter months. For this casserole the tomatoes need to be on the juicy side in order to give the casserole some much needed liquid. I thought these fresh off the vine tomatoes would be juicier than they were. After reviewing other cassoulet recipes, I will seriously consider using whole canned tomatoes the next time I make this White Bean and Sausage Casserole whether or not I can find really 'good' tomatoes.

If there is anything better than chopped garlic, it would be roasted chopped garlic. Roasted for 15-18 minutes in extra-virgin olive until tender, the flavor of the garlic becomes more deeply developed. As an added bonus the aroma from the six whole cloves of garlic roasting in extra-virgin olive oil is intoxicating.

While the garlic is roasting in the oven, a pound of mild/sweet and hot Italian sausage is cooked in a large skillet. Rather than use equal parts of each, I went with a 2/3 mild/sweet and 1/3 hot combination. It worked. 

The finished casserole was second-helping delicious in spite of having used 45 ounces instead of 38 ounces of cannellini beans. Those additional seven ounces absorbed more of the casserole's liquid 'gold' than I would have liked. Lesson learned.

The panko crust topping is made with extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, sliced green onion, and lemon zest. In retrospect, I am really glad I didn't second guess the use of lemon zest in the topping.

In a preheated 400 degree (F) oven the casserole (tightly covered is aluminum foil) is baked for 20 minutes. After removing the foil, it continues to bake for additional 10-15 minutes, giving time for the panko topping to brown. 

From beginning to end, this White Bean and Sausage Casserole comes together in about an hour. Making it the kind of dish you can be made on a weeknight or on the weekend.

This humble, yet luscious and hearty casserole is perfect cold weather comfort food. Having all of the deliciousness and beauty of a cassoulet, yet requiring very little time and effort, it is the kind of dish giving casseroles a good name. Although made with white wine, serve it with a great bottle (or two) or red wine. A Cabernet, Malbec, or Meritage would be great options. Considering this casserole is relatively inexpensive to make, go ahead and splurge a little on the wine. There are times when one needs to be pragmatic about how much to spend on a bottle of wine. This isn't one of them.

Recipe
White Bean and Sausage Casserole (adaptation of Yankee Magazine's recipe for White Bean and Sausage Casserole, January/February 2016)

Ingredients
Casserole
6 large garlic cloves
1 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage (combination of mild/sweet and hot), casing removed and torn into pieces
38 ounces cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained, washed under cold water, drained again (from 2 19 ounce cans or 2 1/2 15 ounce cans (Note: Total weight of cannellini beans should not exceed 38 ounces)
1 pound ripe tomatoes, cored and cubed (or one pound of whole canned tomatoes)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1  Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup white wine (I used a chardonnay)

Topping
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 Tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced (or 1 Tablespoon minced fresh chives)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3-4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F). 
2. Toss garlic cloves and 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a small ovenproof dish. Roast until garlic cloves are tender when pierced with a sharp knife (approximately 15-18 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Chop garlic cloves and reserve oil.
3. Cook sausage over medium heat, until golden brown (approximately 10 minutes).
4. Stir in reserved olive oil, chopped garlic, parsley, thyme, beans, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat for approximately 10 minutes.
5. Raise the heat to high, add the wine, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
6. Transfer mixture to a casserole pan. Note: Casserole can be prepared up to the point, covered and refrigerated until ready to bake.
7. Mix together the panko breadcrumbs, lemon zest, green onions, kosher salt and extra-virgin olive oil. Note: Begin with 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, if panko crumbs do not seem adequately coated, slowly add the additional 1 Tablespoon.
8. Press topping into the casserole. 
9. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).
10. Tightly cover casserole with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until topping is a golden brown and juices from the casserole are bubbling along the edges. Approximately 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.
Optional: Drizzle plated casserole with extra-virgin olive oil.