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Baked White Beans with Italian Sausage and Collard Greens

These Baked White Beans feature hot Italian sausage baked on a bed of saucy beans laced with hearty collard greens. Comfort, spice, and everything nice!
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Bean Soaking Time 6 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine French, Italian
Servings 5

Equipment

  • Large Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients
  

  • 454g (1lb) dried white beans
  • 4 strips thick-cut bacon cut into batons
  • 5 hot Italian sausages
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 2 stalks celery sliced, leaves reserved
  • 1 large carrot peeled, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ cup cognac
  • 1 can whole tomatoes
  • 2 cups beef, veggie or chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 ½ tsp salt divided
  • 1 cup baby spinach tightly packed
  • 2 cups collard greens stems removed, leaves torn
  • 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp butter cut into small cubes

Instructions
 

  • Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with 2-inches of cold water. Let soak for 6-8 hours or overnight.
  • Once the beans are finished soaking, transfer them to a large saucepan and cover with a couple of inches of cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let cook for 1 hour, partially covered, or until the beans are creamy. Drain the beans and season with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Set aside until ready to use.
  • While the beans are cooking, preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the bacon in a cold large cast-iron skillet. Place the skillet over low heat and saute until the fat has rendered out and the bacon is crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the skillet and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.
  • Place the sausages in the skillet and increase the heat to medium. Sear the sausages on all sides until golden. You just want to get color on them, you don't need to cook them all the way through at this stage. Once the sausages are browned, transfer them to a plate and set aside.
  • Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the cast iron skillet. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Saute until the onion is just translucent. Stir in the garlic and saute until fragrant. Pour in the cognac and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed.
  • Open the can of tomatoes and transfer to a bowl. Crush the whole tomatoes with your hand before adding them to the skillet. Pour the remaining juices over top. Stir in the stock and increase the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir in the remaining salt, the bay leaves, and the rosemary sprigs. Return the bacon to the pan and reduce the temperature to low. Let simmer for 15 minutes. In the last five minutes of cooking, stir in the collards and spinach into the tomato stew.
  • Take the tomato mixture off of the heat and stir the cooked beans. Using the back of a spoon, create divets in the bean mixture to accommodate the sausages. Add the sausages to the divets and sprinkle the dish with breadcrumbs. Dot the surface with butter and place it in the oven. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
  • Let the dish stand for 10 minutes before serving. Just before serving, coarsely chop the reserved celery leaves and sprinkle them over the dish. Serve with toast on the side and a glass of beer.
Keyword bacon, beans, collard greens, sausage, tomatoes, white bean