Slow Cooked Sausage Casserole

My dad and I used to watch a programme called Neighbours when I lived at home. It was a soap opera about the lives of a small community of people living in sunny suburban Australia. At one point, it seemed that every time a neighbour or friend had a crisis they would make a sausage casserole. My dad and I used to joke that we knew a climax was coming when one of the actors started making a casserole. So when I’m making this dish for my family it brings back amusing memories  for me.

Casserole sadly did not originate in Australia (that would have been a good link) but in France. The dish is named after its traditional cooking vessel and the way it is cooked as well. The casserole is a deep round earthernware pot with slanting sides and a lid. The traditional home of the casserole is in a region of France called Languedoc. The towns of Toulouse, Carcassonne and Castelnaudary especially all claim to be where the dish originated.

For our Sausage Casserole I used a slow cooker but I have included a recipe for the oven as well. Although, for those of you that read this blog regularly I recommend investing in a slow cooker. Slow cooked food is so good for you and this recipe is so tasty in the slow cooker. We bought gluten free sausages from a local company but any type of sausage will do. Plus I used potatoes instead of haricot or canellini beans. It’s not a traditional French casserole but it’s delicious. Well worth a try.

Serves 4

Equipment needed

• Sharp knife
• Chopping board
• Slow cooker
  • or : Frying pan, stirring spoon and deep dish with lid
• Teaspoon
• Tablespoon

Ingredients

• Sausages x 8 – 12 (Gluten free optional)
• Potatoes x 800g
• Beef stock x 500mls
• Tinned tomatoes x 2 400g
• Leek x 1 large
• Garlic x 2 cloves
• Red pepper x 1
• Yellow pepper x 1
• Courgettes x 2
• Green Beans
• Dried herbs du provence or mixed herbs x 1 tsp
• Smoked paprika
• Tomato puree x 1 tbsp
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil for frying pan

Method for slow cooker

• Start by peeling and chopping the garlic and put into the slow cooker pot.
• Next slice the leek, peppers and courgette.
• Peel the potatoes and cut into 2 cm pieces.
• Place all the vegetables into the slow cooker.
• Pour over the beef stock and tinned tomatoes.
• Sprinkle over the herbs du provence or mixed herbs, smoked paprika and add in the tomato puree.
• Add the salt and pepper to your taste.
• Stir the dish.
• Lay the sausages on top of the sauce.
• Put the slow cooker on low for eight hours or on high for four hours.
• Thirty minutes before the end of the cooking time remove the lid, add in the green beans, stir them round and put the lid back on again.
• Now all you have to do is check the sausages are cooked and serve. Enjoy!

Method for the oven

• Preheat the oven to 180° and put the deep dish with lid into the oven to preheat.
• Start by peeling and chopping the garlic.
• Next slice the leek, peppers and courgette.
• Peel the potatoes and cut into 2 cm pieces.
• Put the frying pan on a medium to high heat.
• Drizzle in the olive oil in the bottom of the frying pan and brush with the plastic brush.
• Once hot, add in the sliced leek and fry until it begins to soften.
• Add in the garlic, peppers and courgettes.
• Continue frying until the vegetables become slightly soft.
  • It should take around five minutes.
• Pour over the beef or chicken stock and add in the tomatoes.
• Stir the potatoes and green beans into the mixture.
• Sprinkle over the herbs du provence or mixed herbs, smoked paprika and add in the tomato puree.
• Add the salt and pepper to your taste.
• Stir the ingredients together.
• Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for a few minutes.
• Carefully remove the deep dish from the oven and take the lid off if on.
• Pour the mixture from the frying pan into the deep dish.
• Lay the sausages on top of the mixture and place the lid back on.
• Put the dish in the oven for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
• Once cooked, remove the dish from the oven and serve. Enjoy!

Slow Cooked Sausage Casserole is a great dish for the weekend or even a mid week meal. If you have a busy Saturday or you are busy during the week it’s great to be able to leave your dinner cooking in the slow cooker. Sausages with my little family are always a favourite so this dish was soon eaten in this house. Clean plates all round again. As always, however you decide to eat this dish, enjoy!