How many appliances do you own?
I mean, really? How many pots, pans and plugin pots does a gal gotta have to make a meal? Wouldn’t it be nice to have one appliance that steams, sautes, slow cook and even more?
While I may sound a little like the Genie from Aladdin…I feel like my dream has come true with the KitchenAid® Multi-Cooker! Yogurt, risotto, soup, steak and even a strawberry cheesecake, can all be made with this baby and in one pot! With over ten cooking methods and four step-by-step modes, simplify cooking anytime of the day with consistent Even- Heat™ technology.
I’ll admit I wasn’t sure exactly where to start with all the different ways I could use the multicooker, so it sat in a box for a few days. But when I did, the sleek design of the multicooker was just the right size to stay on my cabinet for easy, convenient and continued used. With so many options, it was almost overwhelming to figure out what to make, so I just started with the first setting and made my way down to the line from lowest temperature to the hottest.
While it looks like a crock pot, it is so much more because you can use it for so many purposes including taking the idea of one-pot wonders to a whole new level. And since cook methods can be programmed for up to 12 hours of cooking, you really can fix it and forget it – especially With EvenHeat™ technology monitoring the temperature of the cooking pot from 110° to 450° F.
The Kitchen Aid Multi-Cooker comes with a dual purpose steam basket/roasting rack, a specially developed lid with a soft rubber handle, for easy pouring and steam release, and a four-quart cooking pot. So you get everything you need to make a four-course meal with just the multi-cooker.
While I had fun making everything from yogurt to steaming my own vegetables, I eyed a recipe in the digital KitchenAid cookbook you receive after registration, a traditional french dish, Cassoulet with chicken. While it sounds rather impressive, cassoulet is actually a French peasant dish that includes a protein like duck, venison and sausage, beans and a flavorful broth comprised of onions, celery and whatever else you wanna throw in there . Best of all a little splash of wine in this dish gives you a reason to have a glass while you make the cassoulet as well! So while Americans might want to consider this a big pot of everything you got, I was happy to take on this dish and proudly announce it as its more impressive nomenclature cassoulet.
Hey if Julia Child took time to make it, so would I. However, I was thinking my steps were going to be much, much easier with the multi-cooker. Using one pot and several different settings – from saute, sear, slow cooker high and even boil – this dish was going to make preparation easy and cleanup even more since everything was made in one pot!
Chicken Cassoulet
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
- 11⁄2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 13⁄4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces
- 2 chicken sausages (21⁄4 ounces each), cooked and cut into 1⁄4-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 11⁄2 cups diced red and green bell peppers
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1⁄2 cup dry white wine
- 2 cans (about 15 ounces each) cannellini or Great Northern beans,
- rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Preheat KitchenAid® Multi-Cooker on Sauté setting. Add bacon; cook 10 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer to paper towel-lined plate with slotted spoon.
- Add olive oil to drippings in Multi-Cooker.
- Combine flour, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and black pepper in shallow bowl.
- Coat chicken pieces with flour mixture; shake off excess.
- Brown chicken in batches on Sear setting; reduce heat to Sauté setting if chicken begins to burn.
- Transfer to plate.
- Reduce heat to Sauté setting. Add sausages, onion, bell peppers,garlic, thyme and rosemary; sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
- Cook 5 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally and add additional olive oil as needed to prevent sticking.
- Stir in wine, scraping up browned bits from bottom of Multi-Cooker with spatula. Top with chicken and bacon.
- Cover and cook on Slow Cooker High setting 20 minutes; stir in beans.
- Cover and cook 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (165°F), stirring gently twice.
- Serve.
The KitchenAid Multicooker makes a super holiday gift for your loved ones, but mostly yourself. Get ready to take this baby for a spin with tons of dishes you’ll enjoy making from scratch with a lot of the recognition without all the cleanup. That’s my kinda cookin’.
Reclaim your kitchen with the KitchenAid Multicooker found at Nebraska Furniture Mart.
