Dijon Lentil and Sausage Casserole

This is a recipe I found in the Better Homes and Gardens "Ultimate Casseroles" magazine.  This is a tasty, healthy dish that's good for leftovers.  I have to be honest, by cooking skills are not awesome enough to make this one particularly pretty on a plate - it likes to fall apart - but a shallow bowl would work perfectly!  This has some pretty grown-up flavors in it, so I'd be cautious if trying to serve this casserole to anyone under 10!

1 14-oz can reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup water
8 oz fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces (about 2 cups)
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2" slices

3 medium shallots, halved, or 1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges

8 oz smoked cooked turkey (or pork) sausage, cut lengthwise and coarsely chopped

1 1/4 cups dried red or puy lentils, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup dry white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 Tbsp Dijon-style mustard
2 tsp snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups coarse soft whole wheat bread crumbs

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
Lemon slices to garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).  In a large saucepan, combine broth and the water.  Bring to boiling.  Add green beans, parsnips, and shallots.  Return to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 8-10 min or just until vegetables are tender.  Remove from heat.  Stir in sausage and lentils.  In a small bowl, combine wine, mustard, thyme, and 2 cloves of garlic; stir into sausage mixture.

Transfer sausage mixture to an ungreased 2-qt casserole.  Bake, covered, for 25-30 min or just until lentils are tender.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together bread crumbs and oil.  Sprinkle over sausage mixture.  Bake, uncovered, about 10 min more or until mixture is heated through and crumbs are lightly browned.

In a small bowl, combine parsley, lemon peel, and the remaining 2 cloves of garlic.  Sprinkle over individual servings; garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

**236 cal, 5g fat (1g sat fat), 20mg chol, 577mg sodium, 31g carb, 12g fiber, 15g pro

NOTES:

(a)  This dish works best when you use a bigger, shallower casserole dish.  It also makes it considerably easier to dish up.

(b)  I didn't have parsnips, so I substituted sweet potatoes.  You could also use carrots and be just fine.  The important thing is to make sure the slices are 1/2" thick.  Otherwise they'll be too soft and get mushed up when you try to add the sausage and lentils, which is not a pretty sight (and will probably make it more difficult to convince kids to eat - mushy veggies seem to scare children over the age of 2). 

(c)  To prevent the green beans from getting overcooked and turning a sickly shade of brown (as well as losing the bulk of their nutrients), either add them 4 min after you start the parsnips and shallots (or onions, both work well), or steam them separately and add them to the top of the dish after you've poured the sausage, lentil, veggie combo into the casserole. 

(d)  Red lentils are tough to find in France for some reason, and coral lentils simply won't work with this recipe - they get soft and turn to mush long before the dish is done.  I used Puy lentils (which are simply French green lentils), which worked well, though they require a tad more cooking time than the recipe calls for.  If you're using green or brown lentils, try soaking them for up to half an hour after you've given them a good rinsing.  No one wants a casserole featuring crunchy lentils.

(e)  This is an easy dish to turn vegetarian while maintaining (and increasing) all the health benefits, as well as the presentation of the dish.  Remove the sausage, replace the stock with vegetable stock or bullion, and serve with a half cup of brown rice.  The rice and lentil combo are a balanced source of protein.  In addition, add 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded white cheese (emmental or comte would work nicely) to the lentil and veggie mixture before transferring to the casserole.  This both adds flavor and helps the dish maintain its shape for serving.

(f)  Ensure there's only a light topping of bread crumbs, not an impenetrable shield.  Otherwise they don't cook evenly and end up flying everwhere when you try to serve.

(g)  The white wine is far superior to either water or chicken stock when mixed with the mustard and thyme.  Since it's dijon mustard, it needs the dry kick of the wine to balance the powerful taste of the dijon.

(h)  Sprinkle the parsley, lemon peel, and garlic mixture over individual servings.  Otherwise it gets lost in the belly of the casserole when you try to serve it up.