Slow Cooker Sausage And Bean Casserole Food

SLOW-COOKER SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Fry the onion and celery in the oil over a low heat until it starts to soften and cook, about 5 mins, then spoon it into the slow cooker. Fry the carrots briefly and add them too.
• Brown the sausages all over in the same frying pan - make sure they get a really good colour because they won't get any browner in the slow cooker. Transfer to the slow cooker and add the sweet potato and tomatoes.
• Put the purée in the frying pan and add 250ml boiling water, swirl everything around to pick up every last bit of flavour, and tip the lot into the slow cooker. Add the herbs, stock cube and some pepper. Don't add salt until the casserole is cooked as the stock can be quite salty. Cook on high for 4 hrs or on low for 8 hrs, then serve or leave to cool and freeze.

SAUSAGE & BEAN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil in a large heavy-based pan.
• Add 1 finely chopped onion and cook gently for 5 minutes.
• Add 2 finely chopped medium celery sticks, 1 chopped yellow pepper and 1 chopped red pepper and cook for a further 5 mins.
• Add 6 chorizo sausages and 6 pork sausages and fry for 5 minutes.
• Stir in 3 chopped garlic cloves, 1 ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika, ½ tsp ground cumin and 1 tbsp dried thyme and continue cooking for 1 - 2 mins or until the aromas are released.
• Pour in 125ml white wine and use a wooden spoon to remove any residue stuck to the pan.
• Add two 400g cans of tomatoes, and 2 sprigs of fresh thyme and bring to a simmer. Crumble in the chicken stock cube and stir.
• Cook for 40 minutes. Stir in a 400g drained and rinsed can of aduki beans and cook for a further five minutes.
• Remove the thyme sprigs, season with black pepper and stir through some snipped chives, if using. Serve.

SAUSAGE CASSOULET

Steps:

• Set the slow cooker to low (ours had a 5-litre capacity). Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat and brown the sausages on each side - you don't have to cook them all the way through. Set aside on a plate. Put the lardons, onion and celery in the pan and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 mins until the onion is translucent and the lardons crisp. Stir in the garlic, paprika and thyme, and fry for 3 mins.
• Pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by half, around 5-10 mins. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, stock, both lots of beans, the sugar and vinegar. Stir until combined and bring to the boil. Pour into the slow cooker with the sausages. Cover and cook for 6-8 hrs. Serve with crusty bread.