Cumberland Sausage Casserole
Why You’ll Like It
- Cumberland pork bangers in a rich sauce
- Crispy potatoes
- Not just a hearty casserole but a mood uplifter!
Next Day Idea: Leftovers make incredible sausage rolls—just wrap spoonfuls in puff pastry and bake until golden.
Tips for the Perfect Sausage Casserole
-
Use a one-litre casserole dish
- Cook the sliced onions, carrots, and celery until softened, without browning too much. If not sliced thin enough, they may take more than 5 minutes to cook.
- When baking the potatoes, cover them with foil initially to prevent burning. Cooking times may vary by oven, so monitor the first time closely. Once the potatoes are nearly cooked, remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes to brown them.
What You Need
-
Sausages – Use 6-8 Cumberland sausages, but any British pork and herb sausages work well.
-
Aromatics – Use onions, garlic, carrots, and celery stalks, slicing them thinly. You can omit the garlic and celery stalks, but not the onions or carrots.
-
Veggies –
-
Tomatoes – Use a tin of chopped tomatoes or tomato puree. Try to use a brand of good quality tomatoes as it makes all the difference.
-
Potatoes – Large potatoes will cover the casserole nicely. Cut them thin so that they bake nicely and get crispy.
-
-
Broth – Use beef or vegetable broth if possible, homemade. If you’re not using beef broth, you might also want to skip the vegetable broth as the aromatics in this recipe will already enrich the tomato-rich gravy.
-
Worcestershire Sauce – Substitute with a little soy sauce, vinegar, or both.
-
Tomato Paste – Adding tomato paste makes the sauce more robust and gives it more colour, but it can be omitted.
-
Herbs and Spices – Use dried thyme and fresh chopped parsley as a garnish. Basic salt and pepper will suffice to adjust the taste.
-
Cayenne Pepper – Use cayenne or red pepper flakes if you want an extra kick of spice, but don’t overdo it, as it can interfere with the sausage flavour.
Variations
Switch It Up:
- Lighter version: Use turkey sausages and reduce potatoes by half
- Extra veg: Add mushrooms, leeks, or swede with the onions
- Herbs: Swap thyme for rosemary and add a bay leaf
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead Options:
-
Fully assemble (without potato topping): Prepare the sausage and sauce mixture, transfer to your casserole dish, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, add the sliced potatoes and follow baking instructions—add 10-15 minutes since starting from cold. Pro Tip: Slightly undercook the potatoes initially—they’ll finish perfectly when you reheat.
-
Freezer-friendly (without potatoes): Assemble the sausage and sauce, cool completely, transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, add fresh potato slices, and bake as directed.
Storing Leftovers:
-
Refrigerate: Keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days. The flavours get even better!
-
Reheat: Cover with foil and warm in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 15-20 minutes until bubbling. Microwave works in a pinch, but the potatoes won’t stay crispy.
-
Freeze leftovers: Portion into individual containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in the oven at 160°C (320°F) for 30-40 minutes.
Goes Well With
Steamed Vegetables: Broccoli, carrots, or green beans add freshness.
Steamed Rice: Perfect for soaking up that rich gravy.
Coleslaw: Creamy, refreshing contrast to the hearty casserole.
And For Pudding
More Hearty Sausage & Potato Dishes:
- Scottish Steak and Sausage Pie
- Corned Beef Hash Brown With Gravy
- Lancashire Meat and Potato Pie
- Bubble & Squeak (for leftover potatoes!)
Health Info
- Calories: 311.6
- Sugar: 4.8
- Sodium: 668.3
- Fat: 16.1
- Carbohydrates: 32.5
- Fiber: 4.3
- Protein: 10.7
Cumberland Sausage Casserole Recipe
Description
Equipment
- 1 Stovetop (Hob)
- 1 Oven
- 1 litre Casserole dish Dimensions: 21cm x 16cm x 4.5cm
Ingredients
- 6-8 Cumberland sausages
- 2 onions sliced
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 400 g (14 oz) tin of chopped tomatoes
- 250 ml (1 cup) beef or vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 800 g about 1.75 lbs potatoes, thinly sliced
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Fresh parsley chopped (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- In a large ovenproof skillet or casserole dish, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until browned on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the sausages from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the sliced onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes, beef or vegetable broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
- Return the sausages to the skillet, nestling them into the vegetable mixture. Arrange the thinly sliced potatoes on top of the mixture in an overlapping pattern.
- Drizzle the potatoes with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover the skillet or casserole dish with a lid or foil and transfer it to the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, remove the lid or foil and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy.
- Once done, remove the hotpot from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired, and serve hot.
- Enjoy your delicious Cumberland Sausage Hotpot!
Recipe Notes:
- Cooking the casserole – Use a 1-litre casserole dish. Cook onions, carrots, and celery until softened without browning. Thicker slices may need more than 5 minutes. Cover potatoes with foil initially when baking to prevent burning. Adjust baking time as oven temperatures vary.
- Serve With – Apple Chilli Chutney, steamed broccoli, carrots, green beans or rice
- Sausages – Use 6 to 8 Cumberland sausages or any British pork and herb sausages.
- Aromatics –
- Onions, carrots, thinly sliced. Garlic and celery stick optional.
- Tomatoes: Use good-quality chopped tomatoes or tomato puree.
- Potatoes: Large, thinly sliced for crispiness.
- Broth – Beef or vegetable, preferably homemade.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Substitute with soy sauce, vinegar, or both.
- Tomato Paste – Optional for colour and robustness.
- Herbs and Spices – Dried thyme, fresh parsley. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Cayenne Pepper – Use sparingly for extra spice without overpowering the sausage flavour.
So it’s baking now however I don’t know whether it was a Pinterest glitch but your recipe was missing the Method.
1. Do you brown the sausages first?
2. Oven temp? 350?
3. Do you add the rest of the ingredients to the vegetables and then simmer for a bit?
4. Do you thick with some cornstarch and water?
1. Yes definitely brown the sausage as mentioned in step 2.
2. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
3.Yes cook the veg, then add the liquids and simmer as described clearly in steps 3 and 4.
4. You don’t need to thicken with cornstarch and water but you can if you want a thicker stew-like base. Just mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir it into the mixture before adding the sliced potatoes.