Bonfire Bangers and Barbecue Bean Casserole (Sausage & Bean Casserole)

Serves	6
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	4 hours
Total time	4 hours, 20 minutes
Meal type	Lunch, Main Dish
Misc	Child Friendly, Freezable, Serve Hot
Occasion	Casual Party, Halloween
Region	British
By author	Karen Burns-Booth

This delectable sausage and bean casserole has spicy chorizo sausage, red pepper and barbecue sauce added for an extra taste dimension. This casserole cooks quite happily in a slow cooker (crock-pot) whilst you are at work or are out, and if you have a slow cooker with timer on it, you can set the cooking time for extra piece of mind. Perfect for Bonfire Night and as a comforting family meal throughout the cooler months.

Ingredients

2 to 3 tablespoons rapeseed oil (I used Hill Farm extra virgin rapeseed oil)
450g pork sausages (8 in a pack)
100g chorizo sausage, skinned and roughly chopped
4 onions, peeled and sliced thickly
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced
1 red pepper, trimmed, de-seeded and cut into strips
2 x 400g tins of mixed beans in tomato sauce
4 tablespoons barbecue sauce (I used Stokes Barbecue Sauce)
salt and pepper to taste

Note

Directions

Step 1	Turn your crock-pot or slow cooker on to high.
Step 2	Heat 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil in a large frying pan and add the sausages, cook them over a medium heat until they are browned. Drain and remove them from the pan and set to one side.
Step 3	In the same frying pan, add more rapeseed oil and gently fry the chorizo, onions and garlic together until just soft and the chorizo has started to release its oils. Add the red pepper and cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes, stirring all the time. Remove the mixture from the pan and spoon it into the crock-pot.
Step 4	Put the mixed beans into a bowl and add the barbecue sauce, mix well. Pour the barbecue beans into the crock-pot and mix them with the onion mixture -season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 5	Add the sausages by placing them on top.
Step 6	Replace the crock-pot lid and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high, or on medium for 5 to 6 hours; if you have a timer, you can set the cooking time.
Step 7	Serve with mashed potatoes and spiced red cabbage or seasonal greens.