SAUSAGE CASSEROLE
The weather is changing, and on rainy days We sometimes need things that are. Warm and comforting. There are many recipes for sausage casserole out there, some Combine peens and they're more like a French cassoulet. But this, recipe with my late mother's favourite. My mother spent a lot of time in hospital and the last year of her life in a nursing home, She used to like me to take her in lunch, along with smoked salmon sandwiches, chicken soup, chopped liver, chopped herring, she often used to request this sausage casserole. When I walked into The hospital ward, & Opened the wide necked flask, The nurses used to say. What have you brought today, When I took in the sausage casserole, they used to say, “Wow, that smells wonderful”.
“It tastes as good as it smells.” was my mother's response...
This recipe Is for two people., But it's really easy to add to the quantity.
You can use any type of sausages you like. (except Vienna’s or smoked sausages.)
Ingredients
2. Brown onions finely chopped.
2 carrots peeled and finely chopped.
2 stalks of celery peeled and finely chopped.
3 cloves Of garlic.
2 Bay leaves.
Allow two sausages per person. If you have large appetites allowed three. My mother liked this made. With the vegan sausages. (Tesco's do an excellent mushroom based vegan sausage that tastes like. Cumberland sausage, apparently. And is also gluten free.)
1 red pepper finely chopped.
1 Leek Sliced thinly & washed well.
1tin of chopped tomatoes
500ML stock, (either vegetable, chicken or beef.)
1 can of cannellini beans
1/2 glass of red wine (optional)
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika.
1ne teaspoon dried cumin
One teaspoon of mixed Italian herbs, alternatively, herbs de Provance.
Season to taste (Half a teaspoon of sea salt. Half a teaspoon of ground black pepper.)
A dessert spoon of vegetable or olive oil
Fresh chopped parsley to serve (optional)
Method.
Pre heat the oven to 180c gas mark 6
Heat the oil, In a heavy bottom pan, one you can easily transfer to the oven, Cook the onion. Leeks and garlic together until the onion is translucent.
add, the carrots and celery. and bay leaf cook together on a medium heat, for at least. 5 to 7 minutes. till the carrots and celery are getting soft.
Add the sausages, You can leave them whole or chop them into 6, My mother preferred them that way, also add the chopped red pepper, herbs. cumin. and paprika. Cook everything on a medium heat, For about 5 to 7 minutes until the flavours are combined, Season to taste.
Deglaze the pan with the wine and stock, Stirring the bottom. Of the dish to get all of the juices and flavours Into The casserole.
Open and drain the tin of beans, Add it to the casserole. Stir it. Then place a lid on the casserole dish and put it in the oven.
Cook in the oven, for 20 minutes. so that. or the liquid. seconds. and the dish has a casserole consistency.
Options. you can, transfer this to a slow cooker. and cook it. for four hours.
you can continue cooking it on the stovetop for a further., 45 minutes. till the stock has reduced but the sausages don't have the same bite if you do it this way.
Serving suggestions: Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or. Garlic bread.
This easy to prepare tasty, Autumn dish will soon become a firm family favourite.