Italian Style Sausage Casserole

A dish the whole family will enjoy and very easy to prepare.

A great one for the slow cooker too. Start the cooking process on the hob (stage 1) and then add to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients and allow to cook on low all day.

Hearty deliciousness will be ready for everyone at the end of a long and busy day!

INGREDIENTS

• Olive oil
• 8-10 Italian pork sausages (available in most supermarkets)
• 4 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 2 medium onions or leeks, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 2 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup of boiling water
• 20 cherry tomatoes, halved – you could also use a tin of tomatoes instead
• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a large saucepan/ casserole pan and on a medium heat gently brown the sausages in a dash of olive oil. Remove from the pan and set-aside until later. 
• Add the carrots, celery and onions and fry for 5-8 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften.
• Stir through the garlic, oregano, chilli flakes, cannellini beans, the sausages, the boiling water and simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes, with the lid on.
• Remove lid, add the cherry tomatoes, and continue to cook for a further 10-15 minutes without the lid, to let the sauce thicken.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

TRIED & TESTED!

• Serve with lots of green leafy vegetables such as kale and brussels sprouts – now in season, enjoy them at their best!
• Top with coarsely grated Parmesan cheese.
• Prep this in the morning or at lunchtime and slow cook in the oven or slow cooker.
• For enriched flavour, if you have a bottle of red or white wine open, add a glass to this recipe after softening the onion mixture and before adding the beans.