A classic cassoulet recipe is made with a variety of fatty meats like duck confit and pork sausage and cooked over the course of multiple days. This healthy cassoulet recipe is streamlined and lightened up with the use of pork shoulder, turkey kielbasa sausage and boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Pork butt (or shoulder) is usually sold as a larger cut of meat, but if you ask at the butcher counter, it's easy to get a smaller piece for this recipe.

Cassoulet

Makes 8 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each.

Active Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes

1 pound dry small white beans (about 2 cups), rinsed

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

8 ounces pork butt or shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

8 ounces turkey kielbasa, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large onion, finely diced

2 stalks celery, finely diced

2 medium carrots, finely diced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried

1 bay leaf

1 cup dry white wine

3 1/2 cups water

2 cups fresh coarse breadcrumbs (see tip), preferably whole wheat

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Place beans in a large saucepan with enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 325 F.

3. Sprinkle chicken and pork with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the pork and kielbasa. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to the plate.

4. Add 1 tablespoon oil, onion, celery and carrots to the pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf; cook for 30 seconds. Add wine and increase heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the wine is mostly evaporated, 4 to 6 minutes. Pour in water. Drain the beans and add to the pot; bring to a boil. Return the chicken, pork and kielbasa to the pot.

5. Cover the pot and bake until the beans are tender, 2 to 2 1/4 hours. Remove from the oven and season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; let stand for 15 minutes.

6. Just before serving, make crispy breadcrumb topping. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley. Top each serving with about 1/4 cup of the crispy breadcrumbs.

To Make Ahead: Prepare through Step 6 and freeze airtight for up to 3 months (or refrigerate for up to 3 days). Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. Prepare topping (Step 7) just before serving.

Recipe tip:

To make your own breadcrumbs, trim crusts from whole-wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse (or fine) crumbs form. To make dry breadcrumbs (coarse or fine), spread on a baking sheet and bake at 250 F until dry, 10 to 15 minutes. One slice of bread makes about 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs or 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs.

Recipe Nutrition:

Per serving: 511 calories; 14 g fat (3 g sat, 7 g mono); 67 mg cholesterol; 57 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 35 g protein; 12 g fiber; 649 mg sodium; 1063 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (60 percent daily value), Iron (40 percent DV), Folate (32 percent DV), Potassium (30 percent DV), Magnesium (28 percent DV), Zinc (27 percent DV), Calcium (16 percent DV), Vitamin C (15 percent DV)

3 1/2 carbohydrate servings

Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 4 1/2 lean meat, 1 fat

(EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com.)