Smoky Sausage and Butterbean Casserole

Usually I would class a stew as a winter recipe but this one is so easy and tasty that I often make a big batch at the start of the week and take it for my lunch Monday- Thursday. As its still quite chunky its really satisfying and the sour cream adds a lovely fresh taste. If you have it in the evening, any left overs can be frozen for another day (just freeze it before you add the sour cream). I had it as it is but often, when the OH was ravenous so I threw a few new potatoes into his.

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Ingredients

Serves 4 = 6sp each

8 x low fat pork sausages (I use Aldi Skinny Pork Sausages 3% fat)

4 x bacon medallions, diced

Mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp hot chilli powder

1/2 tbsp plain flour

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

300ml chicken stock (made with 1 stock cube)

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tbsp Dark Brown Muscovado Sugar

1 tsp mixed herbs

2 bay leaves

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 x 400g tin of butter beans

1 tbsp half fat soured cream

Method

Pre heat your oven to 200c degrees. Using a pan that can go be on the hob and go in the oven, brown the sausages until they start to colour (5 minutes). Take the sausages out of pan and pop to one side. Add the chopped bacon into the same pan and fry to your taste, I like I nice and crispy on the edges. Add the onions to the bacon and fry for another 4-5 minutes until the onions start to soften.

Next add the mushrooms, fry for a few minutes and then add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the smoked paprika, chilli powder, flour and a few crushed chillies (if you fancy) to the pan and mix in. Stir in tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and herbs and mix. Add 100ml of water.

Add the sausage back to the pan and bring to a simmer on the hob. Add the lid and then pop in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the drained butter beans, putting back in oven for another 10 to 15 minutes. Once cooked, remove stew from the oven, season to taste and stir through the soured cream.

I had this casserole by itself but you could make some mash or roasties to go with it or even pop some par boiled new potatoes into the casserole. I’ve served it with green beans and a slice of crusty bread too (add the points for any additions).

Enjoy!