One-pot sausage casserole with garlic breadcrumbs

Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims/non-pork eaters.

Take ‘sausages and beans’ from its modest midweek meal status and elevate it to an elegant one-pot casserole that’s special enough for entertaining

  • Prep:10 mins
    Cook:45 mins
  • Serves 4
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 563
  • fat 35g
  • saturates 10g
  • carbs 32g
  • sugars 0g
  • fibre 8g
  • protein 22g
  • salt 1.9g

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil, plus an extra drizzle (optional)
  • 8 large pork sausages
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • sprinkle of golden caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 100ml red wine
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 400g can butter beans, drained but not rinsed
  • 50g fresh breadcrumbs
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • handful of parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Tip

DON'T RINSE
Don’t rinse the beans before adding them, as the liquid contains flavour and starch, which helps to thicken the sauce.
USE LENTILS
You can also make this recipe with puy or green lentils. Add 200g lentils instead of beans, and pour over 200ml stock (vegetable or chicken) with the wine, then cook as stated (or until the lentils are soft).
TRY A COQ-AU-VIN & BUTTER BEAN ONE-POT
Swap the sausages for skin-on chicken thighs – simply brown these well in the pan, in step one, instead of the sausages.
MIX IT UP
Cannellini, flageolet and borlotti beans or chickpeas would all work well in this dish.

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a shallow ovenproof casserole over a medium heat and gently fry the sausages for 5-8 mins, or until brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate using tongs. Tip the onions into the pan and fry for 5-8 mins until beginning to turn golden. Drizzle in a little more oil if the onions start to stick. Sprinkle in the sugar and cook for a minute before stirring in the vinegar, tomato purée and paprika to form a paste. Tip in the tomatoes, then pour the wine into the tomato can, swish it round, and add to the pan. Stir in the bay leaves and beans, then arrange the sausages on top so they’re half-submerged in the sauce but still a little exposed.

  2. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then bake in the oven for 20 mins. Meanwhile, make the topping. Mix the breadcrumbs with the garlic and parsley, then season and stir in 1 tbsp oil. Scatter the topping over the casserole, then drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp oil and bake for 10 mins more until the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp. Leave to stand for a few minutes, then take to the table and serve from the dish.

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