Lentil Sausage & Bacon Casserole

Leaning decidedly French, a big warming pot of Lentil Sausage & Bacon Casserole. A one-pot meal that takes two pots to make, but who’s counting?!

Inspired by a couple of links of mild veal-herb sausage, this can be made with any sausage you like. Add a bit of kick with smoky, spicy andouille or a hint of eastern block heartiness with a chunk of kielbasa. Lentils work beautifully against sausages, and they’re so quick to make.

The Power Of Pulses

Lentils, even dried lentils, cook in about 22 minutes flat after they’re rinsed. That’s the magic of these protein-packed little pulses. A little extra liquid makes a tasty sauce, soaked up by crispy garlic-y toasted breadcrumbs layered on top.

In this recipe, I used French Green or Dupuy Lentils. They’re usually smaller than brown lentils, have a slightly peppery flavour and a green-speckled appearance and a firmer texture, making them perfect for soups, stews and casseroles. Dupuy lentils used to be hard to find, but now with so many vegan options and organic sections in big-box grocery stores, I often don’t need to make the trip to the local health food store, which stocks them in bulk.

The Added Love Of Bacon (and a bottle of wine!)

The bacon we boil off, to make it melt-in-your-mouth tender, remove excess salt, impurities and fat. But we keep the flavoured broth we boil it in, fortified with a bay leaf, peppercorns and thyme, so we still have all the flavour and the smoke from our extra thick, double smoked bacon.  

Even with the extra pot, and the boiling of the bacon, this is a meal in less than 60 minutes.

Wine notes: A treat from the French Chef in my life, we paired a steaming pot of Lentil Sausage & Bacon Casserole with a little Dijon mustard and the South Bay Chardonnay from Ontario’s Huff Estates. It’s light minerality and fresh, pineapple undertone balanced the buttery flavour and texture of lentils, the soft smoky undertone of the bacon and the hint of thyme and bay without overpowering.

Pair with a big jar of Dijon mustard and a nice, buttery Chardonnay if you are wine-included and cozy up on a cold night!

Lentil Sausage and Bacon Casserole

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• Author: Cori Horton
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: Serves 6

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Description

Leaning decidedly French, this power-packed Lentil Sausage & Bacon Casserole is a big pot full of love on a cold night! Pair with an unoaked, buttery Chardonnay and Dijon mustard for the full, French effect.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 7 – 10 slices of thick cut, double smoked bacon
• 5 cups cold water
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 – 15 whole peppercorns
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme (1 teaspoon dried)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 sausages
• 1 large onion, diced (2 cups)
• 4 or 5 carrots, diced (2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups dried green lentils, rinsed
• 1 cup white wine
• 4 – 6 cloves of garlic, chopped fine (divided)
• 2 cups coarse breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine (divided)
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• Salt & pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375°F
2. Bacon Stock: Don’t separate your bacon, just count out ten slices and cut bacon rashers in thirds, then cover with about 5 cups of COLD water in a medium sized pot. Add peppercorns, bay leaves, and two sprigs of thyme. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for about 7 minutes. Skim foamy scum from the top with a slotted spoon, then drain, reserving liquid. When cooled slightly, cut bacon in 1/2-inch pieces and reserve. Discard used seasonings and any fat skimmed from the top.
3. As your bacon stock is cooking, sear sausages, in large oven-friendly casserole pot or Dutch oven over medium heat with a good slick of olive oil. Remove when coloured and reserve. Sweat onions and carrots in same pot, until transparent. Add rinsed lentils and combine. Add white wine, to fully deglaze pan, should there be any remaining brown bits after cooking onions & carrots. Measure 41/2 cups of now cool bacon stock and add to pot along with the chopped cooked bacon, the remaining thyme, half the chopped garlic and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil over medium high heat then place the whole works in a 375° oven, covered, for 15 minutes.
4. While lentils, sausages, and bacon cook (and become delicious!), toss breadcrumbs, remaining garlic, parsley and melted butter in a bowl to coat.
5. At the 15-minute mark, remove casserole. Top evenly with garlic breadcrumbs and return to the oven, uncovered, for about 10 minutes until breadcrumb topping is golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven, allow to stand for about 5 minutes and serve.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 Minutes
• Category: One Pot Meals
• Method: Braising
• Cuisine: French