Mary Berry Sausage Casserole

What is Mary Berry Sausage Casserole?

Experience the comforting flavors of Mary Berry Sausage Casserole, a beloved British dish cherished for its hearty ingredients and rich flavors. This traditional recipe combines succulent spicy pork sausages, savory smoked bacon, and vibrant red peppers, all simmered in a luscious sun-dried tomato-based sauce. Loved by families across the UK, this red pepper hot pot promises to warm both body and soul.

Why you’ll like it

• British Comfort Food: Mary Berry’s Sausage Hot Pot is a classic British comfort dish, with its hearty sausages, smoky bacon, and a rich tomato sauce that warms both body and soul.
• Thrifty: This is a frugal dish that you can whip up by spending less than £1.5 per portion
• Nutritious and Colorful: The addition of colorful vegetables adds a nutritious and flavorful touch to the dish, making it a well-rounded and wholesome meal.
• Thrifty: This dish is a fantastic way to impress family and friends without spending hours in the kitchen.
• Simple and Adjustable: The ingredients can be varied based on what you have on hand in the fridge or pantry. Serve with rice or pasta for a quick meal. Choose from various cooking methods based on your available time. Prepare in advance and freeze for later use.

Ingredients

• Sunflower oil – 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• Spicy pork sausages – 8 spicy port sausages (or normal ones for a milder version)
• Smoked bacon – 4 rashers smoked bacon, finely chopped
• Onion – 1 onion sliced
• Red pepper – 1 red pepper with seeds removed and cut into large chunks
• Carrot – 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• Garlic clove – 1 garlic clove crushed
• Chicken stock – 300ml / ½ pint chicken stock
• Chopped tomatoes – 400g / 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• Sun-dried tomato purée – 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato purée
• Fresh thyme – 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• Baby new potatoes – 250g/9oz baby new potatoes skin on, sliced into thick discs
• Salt
• Ground black pepper – 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Green veggies – 6 cups cooked green beans, and broccoli, to serve

How To Make Mary Berry Sausage Casserole?

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan or casserole dish. Brown the sausages, then set aside.
2. Fry bacon until crisp, then set aside with sausages.
3. Sauté onion, red pepper, carrot, and garlic until tender.
4. Add stock, tomatoes, tomato purée, and thyme. Bring to a boil.
5. Add potatoes, season, and return sausages and bacon to the pan.
6. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, then uncover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes until sauce thickens.

Cooking Tips & Tricks

Make up to 8 hours ahead and chill in the fridge or freeze for busy days. Remember to reheat well until it comes to a boil.

Variations To Try

• Use your favorite type of spicy pork sausages to add a personal touch to the dish. You can use regular pork sausages instead of spicy ones.
• Substitute baby new potatoes with regular potatoes if preferred, adjusting the slicing thickness as needed.
• Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce for an extra depth of flavor. I love to add gochujang or red pepper flakes for a spicier meal.

How to serve Mary Berry Sausage Casserole?

• Serve with a generous spoonful of tomato-based sauce, accompanied by freshly cooked green vegetables such as broccoli or green beans.
• As a side, you can serve fresh bread, rice, or garlic bread on the side.

Tips for Storage

For Refrigerator storage – Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave when ready to eat.

For Freezer storage – assemble the casserole and let it cool to room temperature. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then freeze. When ready to bake, thaw completely in the refrigerator ideally overnight, and bake as directed. Leftovers can be stored in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Portion them into individual servings before freezing and then thaw and reheat in the microwave.

For storing the sausage casserole meal prep – Prep and assemble the casserole a day ahead by covering it with aluminum foil and refrigerating for up to 24 hours. Add a few extra minutes to the cooking time if the casserole is chilled before placing it in the oven.

How to Reheat the Sausage Casserole

To thaw the casserole safely, it’s best to defrost it overnight in the refrigerator. However, if you’re short on time, you can use the defrost function on your microwave. Just remember not to leave it out at room temperature to thaw, as bacteria can grow that way!

When reheating a pre-made casserole, the best way is to use the oven or microwave until heated. Ensure the casserole reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C) to ensure it’s thoroughly reheated.

Healthy Info

FAQ

Final Takeaway (4 Out Of 5)

In conclusion, Mary Berry’s Sausage Casserole offers the convenience of a shorter cooking time, ideal for hectic days, although this may marginally affect the dish’s quality. On a positive note, the inclusion of sliced potatoes in the casserole saves time by eliminating the need for separate mashed potatoes. Its affordability, nutritious ingredients, and adaptability make it a preferred option for families on a budget. However, the longer cooking duration and higher sodium content could be challenging for certain individuals. While the recipe may require adjustments to accommodate vegetarian diets, its customizable nature allows for personalized variations. Overall, Mary Berry Sausage Casserole remains a beloved choice for its delicious taste and practicality, despite minor limitations.

Verdict: 4/5: I strongly promote this classic British casserole.

Mary Berry Sausage Casserole Recipe

Caroline Sciberras

Mary Berry Sausage Casserole, also called Red Pepper Hot Pot is a hearty and flavorful dish that brings together the succulent goodness of spicy pork sausages, the rich smokiness of bacon, and a medley of vegetables in a delicious sun-dried tomato-based sauce that infuses the casserole with delightful depth and aroma. Served alongside sliced baby new potatoes and freshly cooked green vegetables, this casserole is a complete and satisfying meal that will quickly become a family favourite!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine British

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 8 spicy pork sausages (or normal ones for a milder version
• 4 rashers smoked bacon finely chopped
• 1 onion sliced
• 1 red pepper with seeds removed and cut into large chunks
• 1 large carrot peeled and diced
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• 300 ml ½ pint chicken stock
• 400 grams 1 tin tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato purée
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 250 g 9 ounces baby new potatoes skin, sliced into thick discs
• Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 6 cups cooked green beans and broccoli, to serve

Instructions

 

• Heat the oil. Heat the oil over high heat in a large deep frying pan or casserole dish.
• Fry the sausages. Add the sausages and fry them until they are browned all over. Once done, remove the sausages from the pan and set them aside.
• Brown the bacon. Add the bacon to the pan and fry it for a few minutes until it becomes crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and set it aside together with the sausages.
• Fry the veggies. Add the onion, red pepper, carrot, and garlic to the pan and fry them for 5 minutes over high heat.
• Prepare the gravy. Pour in the stock, tomatoes, tomato purée, and thyme, and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Add the potatoes. Add the sliced potatoes and season with salt and pepper according to your taste. Once the potatoes are in, return the bacon and sausages to the pan.
• Simmer. Cover the pan and let the ingredients simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes, this time removing the lid. At this point, the sauce should have been slightly reduced and the vegetables tender.
• Serve. Serve this delightful dish alongside freshly cooked green vegetables for a satisfying and delicious meal.

Notes

• Use your favorite type of spicy pork sausages to add a personal touch to the dish.
• Substitute baby new potatoes with regular potatoes if preferred, adjusting the slicing thickness as needed.
• Substitute the sundried tomato puree with standard tomato puree if required.
• Make up to 8 hours ahead and chill in the fridge or freeze for busy days. Remember to reheat well until it comes to a boil.

Keyword carrots, red pepper, Sausage and Red Pepper Hot Pot, Sausage Casserole, Sausage Hot Pot