Slow cooker casseroles are the ultimate easy dinner, and adding sausages makes them fuss-free. The meat is seasoned to perfection, and you don’t need to do any chopping or prepping beyond a little frying.
Which sausages are best for a casserole?
Ones which are full of filler ingredients like rusk will go mushy in the casserole – the more meat, the better they will hold together. Choose sausages with a high percentage of meat – at least 75% or higher.
What’s the best way to brown sausages?
Most sausages will release some fat as they cook, so you don’t need to use a lot of oil – just heat a 1/2tbsp of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sausages and don’t shake the pan or move the sausages for a few min. This will allow them to brown properly and release from the pan without tearing. Once you’ve given them a few minutes, use tongs to gently turn them over and brown on the other side in the same manner. Remember – if you keep moving the sausages, they won’t get a chance to turn golden.
If you find the sausages roll too much and don’t stay where you want them, arrange them in the pan so they touch together and keep each other in place. Don’t turn the heat too high or the pan will smoke unnecessarily – keep it on a medium heat.
How to make a slow cooker casserole more flavoursome
Slow cooker recipes need a fair amount of liquid to help everything cook evenly, so they often have a very diluted flavour. We’ve added some pickle into the recipe to give depth and round everything out. The pickle has the perfect balance of salt, sugar and acid – a little sprinkle of culinary magic – that will add more notes to an otherwise monotonous melody. Other sticky condiments would work too – anything that is sweet and sour, such as an onion marmalade, or even Chinese Plum sauce are worth experimenting with, or correspond it to whatever flavour of sausage you’ve picked. If you’re using a chorizo style sausage, a blob of quince membrillo would pair beautifully.
Our sausage casserole is really hearty and best served with a good mash and green veggies. If you're looking for other casserole recommendations we have chicken casserole recipes that would make the perfect dinner for colder months. If you would prefer a sausage casserole you can make on the hob, try our sausage casserole recipe which can be made in under an hour.
