Tried & Tested | Cooking For the Masses
Laura on 11 Nov 2014
Sausage, Sweet Potato & Bean Casserole
It doesn’t take long for Christmas to get a little crazy, so it’s always good to squeeze in a bit of downtime where you can, and the winter weather (which we are more than a little bit into now) creates the best reason to huddle together in a big group and enjoy some hearty food and wine that’ll warm you up from the inside out. This week was my chance to cook up a classic casserole and bring back that homely feeling of wrapping your hands around a bowl of steaming food.
Wine recommendation: La Chapelle d'Escurac Medoc 2011 £14.50 £12.54
The best thing about meals like this is that they are ideal if you’re cooking for large numbers, and if not, you’ve got dinner for the week sorted. My sausage and bean casserole recipe is about enough for 8 portions (I wanted enough for the group AND some leftovers for the week too) but it’s a rough guide so you can multiply or divide ingredients depending on numbers.
Ingredients
12 thick sausages
5 lge Carrots (chopped)
4 sweet potatoes (medium – chopped)
2 tins mixed beans (kidney/butter etc)
1 lge leek (chopped)
1 lge onion (diced)
1 tsp rosemary, 1 tsp thyme
2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 pork/veg stock cubes
1 tablespoon oil
Black pepper
Any flavour of sausage will do but I used Cumberland as it brings a meaty flavour without wasting the efforts of the rosemary and thyme seasoning with an overpowering ingredient.
Method
- Preheat the oven and put the sausages in for their required cooking time (I find longer at a lower temperature avoids burning the outside which works better for the casserole).
In the meantime sweat the onions, garlic and leek in a large pan with the oil over a low-medium heat.
- Once the ingredients have softened and before they begin to brown, add in the chopped sweet potato and carrot and pour half of the stock in (about 1 pt). Leave this simmering for around 10 minutes on a medium heat, until the veg starts to soften.
- Drain and add in the mixed beans, with the rest of the stock. If it looks like there is too much liquid you can stagger your pouring.
- Once the Sausages are cooked, remove them from the oven and you can either cut each one into 3 pieces, or throw them whole into the casserole mix and stir thoroughly, sinking the meat into the sauce.
- Add the tablespoon of tomato ketchup for a touch of sweetness, and black pepper to taste.
- Poke the carrots and sweet potato from time to time and keep stirring, you’re aiming for all the veg to be soft by the time you serve.
- Leave the mixture bubbling on a low heat until the sauce reduces and thickens. I like my casseroles nice and thick so tend to leave it cooking for a while, but you can judge this yourself.