Dinner With Meg

Perfect for: A hearty midweek meal, a convenient batch cook for freezer portions, comfort in a bowl when you need a winter warmer.

You just can’t beat a hearty sausage casserole.

This one’s super easy to make, and I’d highly recommend using chorizo-style pork sausages like I did, for that seriously smoky flavour.

You could even stretch this further by adding lentils or butterbeans, and it’s one of those meals you can freeze several portions of, that your future self will thank you for. Better still, they can all be served in different ways. Potatoes, rice, even just crusty bread. Delish.

Ingredients

Serves 2 based on a pack of 6 sausages

Glug of olive oil 

6 sausages of your choice 

Knob of butter 

1 onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 carrot, sliced

2 sticks celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Chilli flakes (to taste)

2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp smoked paprika

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 red wine stock cube

1 vegetable stock cube dissolved in 250ml water

1 tbsp tomato purée

3 handfuls peas (optional)

Method

1. Heat a little oil in a large casserole pot, and then add the sausages and brown them all over. Remove and set aside.

2. In the same pot, melt a knob of butter and then add the onion, carrot, celery and red bell pepper.

3. Sauté until softened and then add the garlic and cook for another minute.

4. Stir in the smoked paprika, chilli flakes, dried oregano and thyme, and salt and pepper. Cook for 1–2 minutes to toast the spices.

5. Add the tomato puree to the pot and cook that out for a couple of minutes before adding Worcestershire sauce, tinned tomatoes, red wine stock cube and vegetable stock (in 250ml water). Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.

6. Add the sausages back in, cover with a lid and let the casserole simmer for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken and the flavours meld together.

7. Optional – stir in the garden peas for the final 5 minutes of cooking.

8. Taste and adjust, adding more salt, pepper, or chilli flakes to preference.

9. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or simply enjoy on its own with crusty bread.