Creamy Sausage & Mustard Casserole

Please don't use my photography to guide you as to whether something is worth trying or not. I appreciate that the above might look like a big pile of yack but it was in fact very nice, if a little anaemic in appearance.

I made this sausage casserole for the first time last week and after a minor crisis of confidence (my sausages weren't really browned, I was feeling lazy and then I panicked that I would make everyone violently ill with food-poisoning...) it was wolfed down by Mr M, the little miss and myself. The boy decided against trying it but that's too be expected as he's not overly keen on trying new things.

Seeing as it has three types of mustard in it I thought it would be quite a strong flavour but I am pleased to report it wasn't. Not that it would have been a problem for me, no, I love a good dose of mustard head freeze, but then my daughter probably wouldn't have eaten it.

It's not the healthiest of dinners due to the sausage and cream content but who is counting calories huh? I first saw this in the Daily Mail (don't hate me) a long time ago packaged up as winter dish but I think it works perfectly fine at this time of the year too.  

It's a bit of a juggling act so get all your ingredients assembled and chopped as necessary before you start cooking. This recipe is to serve 4.

Creamy Sausage and Mustard Casserole

Ingredients

8 good quality pork sausages, each chopped into about 4 pieces

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, sliced or chopped

250g chestnut mushrooms, halved if large

400g potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 large Bramley apple, peeled, cored & chopped into small chunks

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp chopped fresh sage

300ml vegetable stock

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

1 tsp English mustard

150ml double cream

sea salt & freshly ground pepper

1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

Heat the oil in a large casserole dish and gently fry the sausage pieces until the golden brown all over.  Remove from the pan.

Add the onions to the pan and saute for around 10 minutes until softened and slightly golden. Throw in the mushrooms and saute for a further 5 minutes before stirring into the potatoes, apple pieces, bay leaf, sage and stock.

Bring to the boil and return the sausages to the pain. Reduce the heat and cover, leaving to cook gently for around 40 minutes. Stir every now and again to ensure the sausages aren't sticking to the bottom of the dish.

The apple should have broken down by now, helping to thicken the stock slightly. If the apple pieces are still holding their shape but are soft, mash them gently with the back of a spoon and stir in.

Mix the mustards with the cream and season with salt and pepper. Pour the creamy mixture into the casserole dish and increase the heat.  Leave the lid off and simmer for a further 5-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. 

Stir in the parsley and serve!

love & kisses
Mrs M x