Sausages And Lentil Casserole – Comfort Food
I love sausage and lentil casserole. It makes a hearty, warming winter dish and yet is relatively low cost when compared to other meat casseroles. Easy to prepare and it is reasonable flexible as to how to how long it can be cooked for.
If a casserole is ready before you are, just turn the heat down in the oven a little and it will not spoil. It is also quite good for a ‘serve and come again’ meal – if your family are on different timetables and unable to eat together. A member of the family can help themselves, then return the rest to the oven to keep warm. Any leftovers can eaily be reheated, or frozen for a ‘ready meal’ another day.
Sausage and lentil casserole is easy, low cost and tasty as well as being warming and filling. Great for a buy family who may need to eat at separate times, too. Can be made with meat or vegetarian sausages
This sausage casserole recipe, is not quite a ‘one pot’ dish as there is a small amount of preparation in a separate pan. The lentils need to be pre boiled to soften them. If you have a flameproof casserole then further preparation can be done using that, otherwise a frying pan will also be required and all the ingredients will eventually be transferred to an oven proof dish.
Lovely Lentils
Lentils are such a low cost and nutritious food. Green or brown lentils are most suitable for this dish, as they hold their shape, whereas red lentils tend to go a bit mushy. The vegetables you use can be up to you – any root vegetables or squash in season.
Choose your sausages carefully. If you have seen any other sausage recipes on the website you will know I recommend buying sausages from a butcher or reputable local shop. If buying from the supermarket, check the amount of meat in the sausage and other ingredients. Buy the best sausages you can afford for flavour and nutrition. Do buy the type you prefer such as lincolnshire, pork and apple or herby sausages.
Vegetarian Sausage And Lentil Stew
You can cook two casseroles without too much extra effort – one meat and one veggie. Make the lentil and vegetable mix for both casseroles altogether. Then divide them into two casserole dishes and put the vegetarian sausages into one and the meat sausages into another. Pop them both in the oven at the same time.
Sausage And Lentil Casserole Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 250g / 8oz green lentils
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced
- 1-2 medium to large potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 1-2 carrots, sliced
- 1 sweet potato or portion of squash or parsnip, peeled and diced
- 1 x 400g /14oz can chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 250ml vegetable stock
- 8 pork or vegetarian sausages
Cooking Directions
- Put the lentils in a saucepan and cover with boiling water
- Bring back to the boil, turn the heat downs, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes
- Heat the oil In a large flameproof casserole, or a frying pan.
- Cook the onions for a few moments until soft
- Add the potato, carrot and other vegetables
- Cook for a moment or two the add the flour, coating all the vegetables
- Pour in the stock and tomatoes and herbs
- Bring to the boil, stirring as the stock thickens
- Add the lentils and stir well
- If not using a flameproof casserole, transfer to an oven proof dish
- Arrange the sausages on top of the casserole
- Cook in the oven at 180 degrees C / gas mark 4 for 35-45 minutes until the sausages are brown
- Serve hot, may be with a green vegetable.
looks very similar to what I would do, but I cut the sausages into 3 and stir in with the veg before adding the tomato mix and I don’t bother with flour. I usually add some kind of tin of beans, (not baked, I’ve been using essential mixed beans, but kidney beans or some other beans such as butter beans would work) and frozen sweetcorn. If I put lentils in, I use the red ones, as they don’t need precooking, just stirring into the sauce, making it a one pot dish (assuming it’s an oven proof dish). Peppers work well with this recipe.
I find with one pack of sausages from the farmers market, one tin of beans, one tin of tomatoes and some veg, I can usually make enough to do 2 adults and 2 smallish children for 2 meals 🙂 Although I serve something like jacket potato (done in oven at same time), chips or cous cous (which is useful for the second time around when you’re reheating it as it’s so easy to prepare, although my two make such a mess with it the work is in sweeping up afterwards instead!) with it, rather than putting potatoes in it. So maybe not so similar after all!
Thanks Penny outstanding site and easy to use recipes ..