Sausage and White Bean Skillet

Last week, I was adamant summer was still very much here in the Valley and worth celebrating with fresh tomatoes and trips to the farmers market.

But my beloved poplar trees, that line the bottom of our pasture, are swaying in the breeze glittering with a few golden leaves tucked deep in their branches.

I take back what I said; fall is here. And I’m not mad about it one bit. I may have tomatoes lining every square inch of my kitchen window sill, but my mind is ready to move into cozy fall mode. Those tomatoes might end up a buttery marinara sauce or homemade tomato soup.

For years, I resisted fall because inevitably it meant winter was around the corner with its cold grey days and even darker, colder nights. But I’ve wholeheartedly changed my mind. I love watching the poplar trees slowly change from bright green, to gold to yellow scattering across the grass as the weeks go by. Crisp mornings with dew filled grass give way to warm days where you find yourself peeling off layers before inevitably reaching for a sweatshirt again as the sun sets.

And once the sun starts setting its time for dinner. Something cozy and hearty, but not too rich. This sausage and white bean skillet is exactly the recipe we need. It checks the boxes for savory, flavorful, filling and cozy without being overly rich or heavy. Even better, the recipe comes together in 30 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight meal.

I used chicken sausage for this recipe, but you can absolutely use pork sausage instead. Use what you have on hand or sounds good. I love the bright slightly bitter bite of kale alongside the creamy beans and savory salty sausage but baby spinach leaves work great too and might be a little more of a crowd pleaser if you’re trying to win over family members who are green healthy food adverse. The only thing you really have to do for this recipe is toast up slices of crusty yummy bread and butter it liberally. The bread is needed to soak up all that good saucy flavor.

Hope you find a free moment to take a stroll in your neighborhood or a favorite trail in the next few weeks to marvel at the changing leaves and let the sunshine warm your shoulders.

Sausage and White Bean Skillet (adapted from The Modern Proper)

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 16 ounces Italian or smoked chicken sausage links

• 3 cloves garlic

• 2 15-ounce cans white beans, such as great northern or cannellini, rinsed and drained

• 1 1/2 cups chicken bone broth

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 3 cups baby kale leaves OR 1/2 bunch kale, stemmed and torn

• Juice of half a lemon

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

• Red pepper flakes to taste

• Crusty toasted buttered bread for serving

Slice the sausage links into 1/4-inch slices on a slight diagonal. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to glisten, add the sausage to the pan and cook until browned on both sides, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Reduce the heat on the skillet to low and add the garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add three-fourths of the beans and 1 cup chicken bone broth. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and dried thyme. Stir to combine and increase the heat back up to medium.

While the beans begin to heat on the stove, mash the remaining beans in a small bowl with a fork until they form a paste. This doesn’t have to be perfect, just give them a good mash. Transfer them to the pan and give the mixture a good stir until the beans are heated through and the stock is bubbling, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the kale to the pan, stirring constantly until the leaves begin to wilt. Finally, stir in the parmesan cheese, lemon juice and add the sausage back to the pan. Add the remaining chicken bone broth, a little at a time until you reach desired creaminess. Keep stirring for another 2 to 3 minutes until the sausage is warmed through.

Remove the pan from the heat, garnish with a dash of red pepper flakes a little more parmesan cheese. Serve alongside toasted and buttered crusty bread for maximum scooping capabilities.