This stew comes together relatively quickly but can also be prepped in advance and stashed away in the freezer until ready to eat.

I used canned white beans here, but you can cook them from dried if you prefer — soak overnight and then simmer them in water for 1–2 hours until tender. An extra can of beans will stretch this stew for six in the event you need to feed a small group, very hungry people, or just want leftovers.

The sausage can be sliced or crumbled, but I strongly suggest crumbling it. It’s a little extra work to remove the casing but totally worth the extra effort for the brown bits. We call for chorizo, but if you can’t find that, a mild Italian or hot sausage will work as well.