Slow Cooker Sausage Casserole

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Rich, warming and savoury, this is a truly traditional sausage casserole made in the slow cooker, with wonderful deep, savoury flavours for a taste of home.

Servings:

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time5

Cook Time5 30

Ingredients

2 onions
2 cloves garlic
1 carrot - large
250 g mushrooms
1 tsp oil - for frying
1 tsp woody herbs - thyme/oregano/marjoram etc
salt and black pepper
1 tbsp tomato puree/paste
1 tbsp red wine, soy sauce or balsamic vinegar - or 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
425 ml good quality beef stock - or chicken stock
6–8 sausages
60 g bacon/lardons/pancetta - in small pieces

Optional

2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch - to thicken the gravy
20 g butter

Metric - USA Cups

Instructions

Start by preparing the vegetables. Peel and roughly chop the onions and garlic. Peel and chop the carrot into chunks about 1.5 cm, and wipe, trim and slice mushrooms.
2 onions, 2 cloves garlic, 1 carrot, 250 g mushrooms
Put a glug of oil in a pan and fry the onions over a medium heat until they are translucent, fragrant and becoming golden at the edges. This should take about 5 minutes.
Then add the seasoning and the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
1 tsp oil, 1 tsp woody herbs, salt and black pepper
Transfer the cooked onion mix to the slow cooker crock but don't wash the pan. Add the mushrooms and carrots to the slow cooker too.
Put the stock in the pot. Add the tomato paste together with the wine, soy sauce, balsamic or Worcestershire sauce (whichever you prefer). Stir.
1 tbsp tomato puree/paste, 425 ml good quality beef stock, 1 tbsp red wine, soy sauce or balsamic vinegar
Prick the sausages and fry in the oil you used for the onions, adding more if necessary. If using lardons, add with the sausages. If using cup up rashers, add this after a couple of minutes.
6–8 sausages, 60 g bacon/lardons/pancetta
Transfer the sausages and bacon to the slow cooker pot. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high, or on low for 6 hours. (Ideally start on high for the first hour and then turn the heat down.)
If you want a thicker gravy, put two teaspoons of cornflour in a small bowl, add a few spoons of gravy from the casserole and stir to make a thin paste. Add this back to the slow cooker and stir through.
Leave for 10 minutes to thicken and repeat if needed.
2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
Finally, you can add a generous knob of butter to enrich the casserole. Stir through before serving.
20 g butter

Notes

Storage

Fridge – Cook your sausage casserole and then keep in the fridge in an airtight box for up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave until piping hot.

I prefer not to reheat in plastic tubs, so I transfer my sausage casserole to a Pyrex type jug with a handle.

Freezer – Once cool, you can transfer your sausage casserole to stackable airtight boxes and freeze. Keep for up to three months. I use plastic takeaway trays for the freezer because they are the perfect size for a stew/casserole for 2, are dishwasher friendly and stack so neatly.

Defrost your easy sausage casserole overnight in the fridge or on the kitchen counter for a couple of hours. Do not reheat more than once.

Hints and tips

Don't forget to prick the sausages before cooking, as you don't want your bangers going bang!

I find cooking tongs invaluable for moving sausages to the casserole pot.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.