20-Minute Cassoulet

Well friends, we have now entered the official Foodie Season of 2015. You know the time that the holidays really start to pick up and suddenly you notice your Pinterest (and Facebook…and Twitter…and Instagram…you get the idea?) feed is packed with holiday recipes to try. Cozy, charming, community-fueled recipes that require time and money and some more time to make so that you too can have a Pinterest-worthy life for the holidays.

But y’all? I’m going to be real with you: my everyday life is so NOT Pinterest-worthy. IF I get out of my pajamas for the day it’s probably just to change out of something that’s been spit up on into something that I’ll eventually work out in later. I put on makeup and do the dishes about 30 minutes before Nate gets home so that it appears I didn’t spend the entire day in pajamas and filth. While the boys nap I do my workout and cram in some computer time to try and lessen the amount of screen time I have at night. I’ve officially styled my hair ONE TIME THIS YEAR. Only once. And every corner of our house is inhabited with dust bunnies and dog fur.

And I’m OK with all of this most of the time because it’s a season. The boys will only be little once, and I’d rather soak up this time with them now than worry about my makeup capabilities or the tidiness of our home. But one thing that I’m not about to give up on? Is having a good meal in the middle of the day.

I love a good bowl of yogurt with blueberries and this maple candied coconut in the morning. Add some coffee in there and I’m golden. Lunchtime usually starts the cravings for real a hearty meal, and I want something that tastes amazing, something that is comforting and hearty and filling – and I want it FAST.

Enter the quickest easiest cassoulet dish I’ve ever had, and y’all? You can make it all with Progresso soups! How crazy, right? All it takes is a mix of their great soups, a mix of some awesome breadcrumbs, and you have yourself a cozy, comforting dish that makes your life feel Pinterest-perfect even though you can’t remember the last time you mopped your floor.

I love mixing this together separately and then baking it off in the oven while I workout. That means I’ll always have a warm and filling meal ready for me as soon as I’m finished, one that’s made with fresh ingredients and that I’m happy to share if a certain little dude wakes up early and wants a bite!

Another option is to make one big cassoulet and bake it off for dinner. Suddenly you have a hearty meal that literally took just seconds to put together and 20 minutes to bake. Served with a side salad, some bread, or steamed veggies it makes a rich and hearty meal that’s easy on the budget and pocketbook. As with almost all of my groceries I get the soups at Walmart, along with all of the other ingredients, and can have lunch for days or dinner for my family in under $5. Finally, just think of the options here! You can literally make your own cassoulet with any version of their amazing soups and really make it your own! I think that’s called winning y’all.

20-MINUTE CASSOULET

Makes 3 lunch portions

Ingredients:

• Progresso Lentil Soup
• Progresso Tuscan-Style White Bean Soup
• Progresso French Onion Soup
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. In a large collander drain the excess liquid off of the soups.
3. Combine the drained soup ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
4. Portion the soups into 3 5-inch oven-safe crocks or ramekins.
5. In a small bowl combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, pepper flakes, lemon zest and olive oil and stir until the ingredients are well mixed and coated evenly with the olive oil.
6. Portion the breadcrumb topping evenly on top of the soup mixture.
7. To cook, bake for 20 minutes until the center is warm and bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
8. Cover the remaining ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.
9. Serve hot and enjoy!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of General Mills. The opinions and text are all mine.