This tasty dish is a combination of roasted chicken and Italian sausages, served on a bed of white beans in a flavorful tomato sauce, which is great served on a bed of soft polenta, or garlic mashed potatoes.
:Serves 4-6I first had a dish similar to this one at a restaurant chain that describes itself as "southern Italian immigrant cuisine". My family enjoyed it so much, I came home and created my own version. You could substitute less expensive chicken thighs, or a cut up whole chicken if you preferred. This is a great dish to use when having a large group of people over as much of it can be prepared ahead, and just baked when needed.
4 Large Chicken Breasts, Skin On, Cut In Half
4 to 6 Italian Sausages, Either Sweet Or Hot Depending On Your Preference
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
2 Cans Cannellini Beans, Drained
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
3 Large Cloves Garlic, Minced
1/2 Cup White Wine
2 Stalks Celery, Chopped
10 Ripe Plum Tomatoes, Cored, Seeded, Chopped
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
4 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil
Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a heavy frying pan, heat the olive oil, and brown the chicken pieces and sausages well on all sides. Put all of the browned pieces of chicken and sausage into an ovenproof casserole dishe large enough to hold all of the meat in one layer. Place the meat into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
While the meat is roasting, add the onions, celery and garlic to the saucepan used to brown the meat, and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the wine, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes to the pan, and cook for 10 minutes until they are soft and are becoming a chunky sauce. Add the drained beans, and season with salt and pepper and hot pepper flakes if you are using them. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the parsley and basil, and mix well. Remove the meat from the oven, and add the bean mixture to the dish containing the meat, laying the meat on top of the beans, and stirring the meat juices into the sauce. Bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear when pricked with a fork. To serve, place a scoop of bean mixture on each plate, and then place a piece of chicken and sausage on top as seen below. Spoon some of the sauce onto the plate and serve hot.
Cook's Tip: You could make this dish even heartier by large chunks of poatoes to the casserole dish just before baking, or serve this dish on a bed of Soft Polenta, or Garlic Mashed Potatoes. I have also added chopped spinach to the bean mixture which was very tasty too.
