How to Make a Sausage Casserole with Aunt Bessie's

Preparation time
'
Cooking time
'
Nr of servings
4

Just imagine, a hot and tasty sausage casserole paired with Aunt Bessie's soft and creamy mashed potatoes, fragrant Yorkshire puddings or honey glazed parsnips. Our sausage casserole recipe uses beans, chopped tomatoes and lots of mixed herbs to get your taste buds tingling. 

Most ingredients are also interchangeable, for example swap the pork sausages for a veggie alternative or remove the bacon if you don't like the taste. If you change your mind and want to try a different dish then had over to our recipes collection. What are you waiting for then? Get all the ingredients ready, roll up your sleeves, put your fancy-looking apron on and get started!

Read on for some easy instructions on how to make the ultimate sausage casserole, perfect for warming you up after a nice long walk, or to cook as an alternative to a Sunday roast.

Preparation time
'
Cooking time
'
Nr of servings
4

Ingredients

2 
tablespoons
 
sunflower oil
12 
good-quality pork sausages
6 
rashers rindless streaky bacon, cut into 2.5cm/1in lengths
2 
onions, thinly sliced
2 
garlic cloves, crushed
½–1 
teaspoons
 
hot chilli powder or smoked paprika
400g 
can chopped tomatoes
300ml/10fl oz. 
chicken stock
2 
tablespoons
 
tomato purée
1 
tablespoon
 
Worcestershire sauce
1 
tablespoon
 
dark brown muscovado sugar
1 
teaspoon
 
dried mixed herbs
2 
bay leaves
3-4 
sprigs fresh thyme
100ml/3½fl oz. 
red or white wine
 
(optional)
400g 
can butter beans or mixed beans
 
 (optional if sausage and bean casserole is preferred)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Our method

  1. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the sausages gently for 10 minutes, turning them every now and then until nicely browned all over. Simply swap the pork sausages with meat-free alternatives if you're looking for a veggie sausage casserole instead. Transfer to a large saucepan or a flameproof casserole dish and set aside.

  2. Next, fry the bacon pieces, or meat-free bacon, in the frying pan until they begin to brown and crisp then add to the sausages.
  3. After, place the onions in the frying pan and fry over a medium heat for five minutes until they start to soften, stir them often. At this point, you should have enough fat in the pan, but if not, add a little more oil in.
  4. Follow by adding the garlic and cooking both for 2-3minutes more until the onions turn pale golden-brown, stir frequently.
  5. Sprinkle over the chilli powder or smoked paprika and cook together for a few seconds longer.
  6. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and herbs. 
  7. Pour over the wine, or some water if you're not using wine, and bring to a simmer.
  8. Tip carefully into a pan with the sausages and bacon and return to a simmer, then reduce the heat, cover the pan loosely with a lid and leave to simmer very gently for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time. 
  9. If you'd like to make this a sausage and bean casserole, then simply drain the beans and rinse them in a sieve under cold running water. Stir the beans into the casserole, and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick. Skip this step if looking for a sausage only casserole! 
  10. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve the best sausage casserole with one of Aunt Bessie's sides.

Now that you've learned how to prepare our simple sausage casserole, let's focus on the best sides to go along with it:

1. In first place we've got Aunt Bessie's creamy mashed potatoes. Simply made with a splash of milk, a knob or butter, salt and pepper- we are head over heels for them. Our mashed potatoes come already pre-made and perfectly tasty- just pop in the microwave or heat over the hob. All that's left to do now is serve it with your sausage casserole

2. Yorkshire puddings are also a great idea if you're looking for sides to serve with sausage casserole. Look no further than Aunt Bessie's for the perfect Yorkshire puddings to accompany your meal. From gigantic puds to "bake at home" options, you're guaranteed to find an option for everyone's taste!

3. Last but not least, if you're looking for a healthier alternative, try our honey glazed parsnips. Coated in butter and pre-fried with our homemade orange blossom honey, they are just as delicious as the first two sides, plus a great source of fibre. Heat in the oven and serve next to your sausage casserole.

Hopefully we've given you some inspiration on both how to cook a sausage casserole and what to serve with it. If by the end of the meal you still have space for dessert, then please keep browsing to see our yummy selection.