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Make this rich, smoky, tomatoey Sausage Casserole with beans on days when you only have time for 5 minutes of prep. The oven does the rest, and out comes a complete delicious meal that the whole family will love! It’s perfect for freezing too.
Sausage Casserole is an absolute favourite in this house. It’s meaty, hearty and comforting, with filling beans and a satisfying rich sauce with smoky, tomatoey flavours… yum.
We used to make this using cider which was delicious BUT (sadly 😆) not all of us have a bottle of cider in the house ready for dinner midweek.
So! We decided to retest this to simplify it a little and make it more accessible. (Although if you’re a firm fan of cider in this recipe, go for it. Just add some in at the same time as the stock.)
Like a lot of casseroles, this dish takes just 5 minutes of prep and the oven does the rest for about an hour (leaving me with other jobs to get on with or go to pick the kids up!)
And if you’re really pushed for time, you could always make my similar Slow Cooker Sausage Casserole version instead.
A quick tip: If you can get tinned cherry tomatoes (rather than regular chopped), I would recommend these as they add another texture and sweetness to this meal. No problem if not though, regular tinned chopped tomatoes also work fine.
Why you’ll love this Easy Sausage Casserole recipe
⭐️ Just add crusty bread, jacket potato or mash for a complete meal
⭐️ Freezable and easy to make ahead of time
⭐️ Quick prep all in one pot
A note about sausages
Sausages are a big hit for a family meal because most children (and adults) adore them and they’re inexpensive and versatile. We can keep them in the fridge for unprepared days and they freeze well too.
I love how we can make them into one pot dishes, like my Sausage Pasta, or hands-off simplicity like with my Sticky Sausage Tray Bake.
Basically, like the cheers I hear when I get asked ‘what’s for dinner?’ when sausages are on the menu, and I like that most of my recipes with them are super easy.
❗️PLEASE NOTE: Sometimes supermarket sausages don’t brown well, or the browning lifts off during the simmering process in a homemade casserole. They will still taste delicious, but if you want to get around this, the best solution is to buy good quality sausages from the butcher.
Sausage Casserole Ingredients
- Oil – Go for sunflower or olive oil.
- Bacon lardons – I like to use smoked lardons in this recipe for the extra flavour. Go for unsmoked if you prefer, but be aware the flavour might get a little more lost.
- Sausages – We’re using 8 good-sized sausages in this recipe that serves 4, which is equivalent to approximately 450g/16oz. Use your favourite kind, but please note they might not brown well if they’re not great quality.
- Red onion and garlic – I sometimes use pre-chopped frozen onions for speed, but you can use fresh too.
- Herbs and spices – Smoked paprika and dried mixed herbs give a lovely smoky flavour.
- Tinned cherry tomatoes – I would recommend using this kind as they’re a little sweeter and work really well here, but regular tinned tomatoes also work.
- Butter beans – Tinned. Drain and rinse them really well.
- Beef stock cube – This is to crumble straight into the sauce.
- To serve – Chopped parsley.
- Sea salt and ground black pepper – Season generously.
How to make a Sausage Casserole
1. Heat the oil over a medium high heat and fry the bacon lardons until browned on the edges. Remove them with a slotted spoon (as per the full recipe below).
2. Fry the sausages until golden brown, then add the red onion, garlic, smoked paprika and dried mixed herbs to the pan. Cook until the onions are starting to soften.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, butter beans and bacon lardons, and crumble in the stock cube. Bring to a simmer, pop the lid on a cook according to the recipe below.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper before scattering over the chopped parsley and serving.
Substitutions
- To make vegetarian – Leave out the lardons, use veggies sausages and a vegetable stock cube to make this vegetarian.
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat fully before serving.
In the freezer This recipe freezes well. Just wait until it’s totally cold and then put it into a freezer proof container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before reheating.
What to serve with Sausage Casserole
We love this served with mash, jacket potatoes or some crusty bread.
It would be delicious with rice or couscous too.
More casserole and stew recipes…
Comfort Food
Chicken Casserole
Slow Cooker Beef
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Slow Cooker
Easy Campfire Stew {Slow Cooker Recipe}
Comfort Food
Beef Bourguignon
FAQs
Sure, just make sure you use gluten free sausages and stock cube, and double check all of the labels on your other ingredients.
Yes you can, just keep it on a low heat so that the bottom doesn’t stick. Stir it occasionally and keep the lid on. You may need to add a little more stock as more will evaporate if cooked this way.
The short answer is no, they will still be edible if you don’t BUT the skins can be a bit chewy! Also they look SO much nicer if you do and the flavour is a little deeper. It’s worth the time in this case.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Sausage Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 200 g (7 oz) Smoked bacon lardons
- 450 g (16 oz) Sausages, See notes
- 1 Red onion, Sliced
- 3 Garlic cloves, Crushed
- 1 tbsp Smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp Dried mixed herbs
- 800 g (28 oz) Tinned cherry tomatoes, See notes
- 400 g (14 oz) Butter beans
- 1 Beef stock cube
- 15 g (2 tbsp) Chopped parsley, To serve
- Sea salt and ground black pepper, Season generously
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
- Pan fry lardons and sausages to brown: Heat the oil in a casserole dish or large frying pan with a lid over a medium high heat and fry the bacon lardons for 5-8 minutes, or until they have browned on the edges and the fat has cooked down. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon.
- Add the sausages to the pan and fry for 5 or so minutes until golden brown all over.
- Veggies and herbs in: Add the red onion, garlic, smoked paprika and dried mixed herbs to the pan, cook for 3-5 minutes until the onions are starting to soften.
- Make up the sauce: Stir in the tinned cherry tomatoes, butter beans and the cooked bacon lardons and crumble in the stock cube. Bring to a simmer.
- Into the oven: Pop the lid on and cook for 40 minutes, removing the lid for the last 10 minutes.
- To serve: Season to taste with salt and pepper before scattering over the chopped parsley and serving.
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutritional values are per portion unless otherwise stated.
This post was originally published on February 2, 2021 and updated later to make improvements.
This is hands down the nicest sausage casserole we have ever had. Hubby looked pretty underwhelmed when I told him what was for dinner but when we were eating it, he kept saying how lovely it was (and that’s not like him!) I have just finished the leftovers for my lunch and it is still lovely after being nuked in the microwave and everyone at work now wants to come round to mine for dinner!! Thanks Sarah
This is hands down the nicest sausage casserole we have ever had. Hubby wasn’t keen when I told him what was for dinner but when we had it, he kept saying how nice it was. Just finished the leftovers today for my lunch and it’s still lovely after being nuked in the microwave. Thank you Sarah 😊
Just made this for dinner this evening. It’s so tasty! We used 500ml 0% alcohol cider (as I have a toddler and worry about cooking with alcohol) and I used 250ml of chicken stock as well and that made a lovely gravy. We replaced the parsnips with carrots and used two flavours of sausage: apple and caramelised onion, which worked really well.
So so so nice. You did it again Sarah!
oh.. and 5 stars
Superb, was looking for something different to do with a load of bangers in the freezer. Made it for the family last night. Best one pot dish in a long time.
Superb, tasty . Made this with a mix of 2 different sausage Cumberland and caramelised red onion.
Was devoured and no waste .definitely recommend
Really delicious although I might add more liquid next time. Will definitely make again though!
This was delicious! I browned the sausages, bacon, veg etc before adding everything else then popped it on low for 6 hours in the slow cooker. Love that this was so tasty for such low effort from me! Thank you. X
Made sausage casserole tonight, wasn’t sure about the cider omg I was wrong absolutely fab. Hubby was amazed and went to get a spoon to finish the gravy lol Will defiantly be making this again.
Loved this recipe, wanted to cook a typically English meal for Corsican guests and it was perfect. They loved it and we did too. Very simple to make and soooo delicious 😋 Sarah and Paul