bangers and mash casserole

This bangers and mash casserole is inspired by the brilliant new vegan Bangers from Quorn.  The lovely guys at Quorn very kindly sent me a few packs to play with and they are quite frankly ridiculously delicious. They taste just like a classic banger sausage but are totally vegan which means you can make a healthier more animal-friendly choice with your meals without compromising on taste.

all in one

What I love about this casserole is that it’s an all-in-one meal so there’s really no faffing about with lots of pots and pans.  You literally just bung it all into a roasting tin or casserole pot and let it do it’s thing.  As for the choice of veg, that’s really up to you.  With the onset of the autumn weather I’ve gone for some lovely root veg and my favourite butter beans but really just choose what you love.

mash on top

This is a fun dish because it’s not quite a pie and not quite a casserole in the traditional sense.  I’m topping the whole thing with large dollops of mash but unlike a Shepherds Pie or Cottage Pie I’ve left a few gaps for the sausages and casserole to peep through.

• 8 Quorn Brilliant Bangers
• 1 large onion – roughly chopped
• 2 sticks of celery – roughly chopped
• 2 large carrots – roughly chopped
• 1/2 a squash – peeled and chopped
• 4 or 5 cloves of garlic
• a selection of sturdy chestnut mushrooms – roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 1ltr good quality vegetable stock (made up with 1/3rd white wine)
• 1 teaspoon yeast extract (optional)
• a selection of fresh herbs – I used rosemary and thyme
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• your favourite frozen mash – I love this one from Sainsbury’s and I used about half a bag

I’m using a large roasting tin, the largest that will fit in my oven which I’ve pre-heated to 170C fan.

Place all the veg and the sausages into the roasting tin.  Season well with salt, pepper and fresh herbs and drizzle generously with olive oil.  Stir it all around until it gets a good coating then roast for a good 30 mins until everything is gloriously golden.

Take the tray out of the oven and sprinkle over the plain flour and stir well, then pour over the stock and wine with the yeast extract mixed in if using. Place it back in the oven for 10 mins to thicken up.

Defrost your frozen mash and fork it through till it’s fluffy.

Take the casserole out of the oven and dollop the mash on top.  I’ve pulled some of the sausages through the mash to show the people eating it what’s inside, plus it gives a fun look to the finished dish.

Roast in the oven until the mash is golden and crispy.

For more comfort food recipes check out Dom in the Kitchen

Eat and of course, enjoy!