The Hairy Bikers’ sausage casserole recipe combines juicy pork sausages, crispy bacon, and tender beans in a rich, savoury sauce that’s gently spiced. It’s the ultimate cosy meal for a chilly evening and comes together in as little as one hour. Plus, it’s easy to prepare and even easier to enjoy with a side of rice or crusty bread. Sharing this delicious dish online, the BBC said: “The Hairy Bikers’ take on sausage casserole makes a wonderfully warming and filling dish.

“With plenty of sausages and bacon you could stretch it to feed more people with an extra tin of beans, plenty of rice or bread on the side.” When prepared according to instructions, this recipe serves six, with each serving providing 423 kcal.

Hairy Bikers’ sausage casserole recipe

Ingredients

One to two tbsp sunflower oil

12 good-quality pork sausages

Six rashers rindless streaky bacon, cut into 2.5cm/1in lengths

Two onions, thinly sliced

Two garlic cloves, crushed

Half to one tsp hot chilli powder or smoked paprika

400g tin chopped tomatoes

300ml chicken stock

Two tbsp tomato purée

One tbsp Worcestershire sauce

One tbsp dark muscovado sugar

One tsp dried mixed herbs

Two bay leaves

Three to four fresh thyme sprigs

100ml red or white wine (optional)

400g tin butter beans or mixed beans, drained and rinsed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rice or rustic bread slices, to serve

Method

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick frying pan and gently cook the sausages for around 10 minutes, turning them occasionally until they are evenly browned all over. Once done, transfer the sausages to a large saucepan or a flameproof casserole dish and set them aside.

In the same frying pan, fry the bacon until it begins to crisp and turn golden. Once it has started to brown, add it to the dish containing the sausages.

Next, add the onions to the frying pan and sauté over a medium heat for about five minutes, stirring regularly, until they begin to soften. If there isn’t enough fat in the pan, drizzle in a little more oil. Once the onions have softened, add the garlic and continue cooking for two to three minutes, stirring often, until the onions turn a light golden colour.

Sprinkle the chilli powder over the mixture and allow it to cook for a few more seconds.

Add the chopped tomatoes, stock, tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and herbs to the pan. If you’re using wine, pour it in now; otherwise, use a little water. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

Carefully pour the tomato mixture into the pan with the sausages and bacon, then return it to a simmer. Lower the heat, cover the pan loosely with a lid, and allow it to cook very gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After 20 minutes, stir the beans into the casserole and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.

Season the dish with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, and serve with either rice or slices of rustic bread.