Mushroom and Sausage Classic Casserole

This quick, surprisingly easy dish is classic British comfort food but seriously nutrient-dense too. The mushrooms are a natural source of vitamin B5, which helps reduce tiredness and fatigue. 

Ingredients:

Serves Four

2 tablespoons oil.
500g closed cup mushrooms, halved or quartered.
250g onions (2 medium), thickly sliced.
8 good quality thick pork sausages, cut in half, (at least 90% meat).
6 rashers streaky bacon, chopped.
250g carrots (2 large), peeled and cut into large chunks.
350g swede (rutabaga), peeled and cut into large chunks.
2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme.
300ml vegetable stock.
salt & freshly ground black pepper.

Method:
1) Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and fry the mushrooms on a high heat for about 5 minutes until golden. Season well with salt & pepper and transfer them to a large dish and set aside.
2) Add the remaining oil to the pan along with the onions, sausages and bacon and fry for about 6-8 minutes until the meat is browned but not cooked through.
3) Tuck the vegetable chunks around the sausages and onions, sprinkle over half the thyme and season well. Pour in the stock and cover the pan with a tightly fitting lid or a large piece of foil.
4) Cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes, then stir in the mushrooms, recover the pan and continue cooking for a further 10 minutes or until the veg is tender and the sausages have cooked through and almost all the liquid has evaporated.

5) Stir gently to mix everything and serve sprinkled with the remaining fresh thyme and some green vegetables of your choice.

From an original idea here

The picture above shows what Americans know as "rutabaga". The Scottish call it "neeps" and serve it with haggis. I know it as swede, a fairly recent root vegetable, which is thought to have originated around the 17th century in Bohemia. In 1620 a Swiss botanist described the root vegetable, believed to be a hybrid of the cabbage and the turnip. By 1664 it was growing in England. It's a good source of Vitamin C, fibre, folate and potassium. It's low in calories, and you can find out more about swede here

You will find a variety of recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan