Rosemary Chicken Cassoulet with Baby Bellos

I made this recipe last night for my family, as a change from my usual preparation method for beans.  You'll need:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary

salt

oil - I usually prefer light olive oil

1 pound baby portobello or other mushrooms

2 cups of cooked navy beans; I used one-half pound of dried beans and cooked them until almost tender.

hot water

Heat a deep cast-iron skillet or dutch oven about medium-low, and coat the bottom of the skillet with oil.  When the oil is fragrant, snip the rosemary leaves into the hot oil.  Salt this liberally, and then fit the chicken breasts into a single layer in the skillet.  Cook on one side until a golden crust develops, then turn.  While this cooks, cut the mushrooms into quarters and put into the pan with the chicken.  Using a sharp spatula, cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks.  Cook for about ten more minutes, stirring occasionally; be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to distribute the crusty goodness and keep it from sticking.

When the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms have softened, pour in the cooked beans.  Barely cover this with scalding water; I keep a teapot on the stove at all times for this purpose.  Stir well until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.  Reduce heat to a simmer, and cover.  Allow this to continue cooking until the broth has reduced to a thick gravy and the beans are cooked through.  I like this to be thick as a stew, but you could make it more like a soup; it will just be soup, not a cassoulet.

This serves 4-5 comfortably.  We also had parmesan griddle bread and buttered corn.