Looking for a cosy, comforting meal to warm you up on a chilly day? Look no further than this delicious Sausage and Apple casserole, packed with savoury flavours and hearty ingredients.
Why I Love Sausage and Cider Casserole
- The best thing about autumn is making big, warming casseroles and hot, stodgy desserts.
- It smells amazing.
- The apples add a lovely sweetness, making it a nice change from more traditional stews.
- The kids love it.
- You don’t need to add fancy sides.
- It’s super healthy and filling.
- We have an apple tree, and can only eat so many crumbles! The more apple recipes, the better.
Ingredients For Sausage and Apple Casserole
Olive Oil
Pork Sausages – Good quality sausages are always best if you can. I also recommend something with plenty of flavour, like a Cumberland sausage, where possible. But use what you can and what you like.
Bacon – The same goes for bacon. Better quality bacon will have less liquid and a better texture. But use what you can.
Red Onion
Garlic Puree – Swap this to 2 garlic cloves (crushed) if you prefer.
Plain Flour
Swede
Carrots
Tomato Puree
Dry Cider – Apple juice is another option if you prefer not to use alcohol.
Chicken Stock
Sage Leaves – We use fresh sage from our garden, but if this isn’t an option, a teaspoon of dried sage will do.
Wholegrain Mustard
Butter – You could use olive oil again, but butter adds a lovely flavour and colour to your apples.
Apples – We use apples from our tree. Not going to lie, I do not know what they are. But they are large and tart. Great for baking, not amazing for eating. Cooking apples would be perfect.
You’ll Also Need
I cook my sausage and apple stew in a large cast-iron Dutch oven. Apart from that, I just use a knife, chopping board, spatula, garlic press, peeler and a non-stick pan to fry the apples.
You can cook in any flameproof, ovenproof dish.
How to Make Sausage and Apple Casserole – Step-by-Step Instructions
Full, easy-to-follow instructions and quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step One
Warm the oil in a large, heavy-based cast-iron casserole dish over a medium heat on the hob.
Step Two
Add the sausages and fry for a few minutes, turning occasionally, until they’re evenly browned all over. This helps seal in the flavour and gives the casserole a richer taste.
Step Three
Remove the sausages from the pan and set them aside on a plate.
Step Four
Add the chopped bacon, onion, and garlic to the same pan. Fry for around 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent, the bacon is lightly crisped, and the garlic is fragrant.
Step Five
Sprinkle in the flour and stir well to coat the ingredients — this will help thicken the sauce later. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for another minute to remove any raw taste.
Step Six
Add the diced swede and carrots, mixing everything together until well combined. Return the browned sausages to the pan.
Step Seven
Pour in the cider and chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the dish for extra flavour. Add the sage and mustard, then stir well to mix everything together.
Step Eight
Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan/gas mark 3).
Step Nine
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer on the hob, then remove from the heat and cover with the lid.
Step Ten
Transfer the dish to the preheated oven and cook for about 40 minutes, until the sausages are tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
Step Eleven
Meanwhile, in the last 10 minutes of cooking, melt the butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.
Step Twelve
Add the sliced apples and fry for a few minutes on each side until lightly golden and just starting to soften.
Step Thirteen
Carefully remove the casserole from the oven and stir through the pan-fried apples.
Step Fourteen
Serve warm, ideally with creamy mashed potatoes or crusty bread to soak up the delicious cider sauce.
Serving Suggestions
I serve most casseroles and stews with bread, mash, roast potatoes, boiled potatoes or dumplings. Sometimes, a combination of more than one option. You can also add some fresh green veggies, but there’s plenty of veg already, so this certainly isn’t essential.
Personally, I think sausage and apple casserole with cider is perfect with a hearty mashed potato for a warming and comforting family dinner.
Variations
As with any stew, you can change things up to suit your tastes. I opt for classic root vegetables, but feel free to try other things.
Leftovers
Leftover sausage and cider stew can be reheated in the microwave or on the hob, simmering until the sausages are piping hot before serving.
Storage
Remove leftovers from the cooking pot to cool as quickly as possible before sealing in an airtight tub and refrigerating for a day or two.
Other Recipes
If you love a casserole as much as I do, you might also want to try:
- Sausage and Chorizo Casserole
- Pork and Apple Casserole
- Sausage and Beer Casserole
- Minted Lamb Casserole with Dumplings
- Chicken and Cider Casserole
- Pork and Cider Casserole
Sausage and Apple Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 8 Pork Sausages
- 300 g Bacon (Diced)
- 1 Red Onion (finely diced)
- 1 Tsp Garlic Puree
- 1 Tablespoon Plain Flour
- 1 Small Swede (peeled and roughly chopped into 1-2cm bites)
- 2 Large Carrots (peeled and sliced)
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 300 ml Dry Cider
- 500 ml Chicken Stock
- 8 Fresh Sage Leaves
- 1 Tablespoon Wholegrain Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 3 Apples (peeled, cored and cut into quarters)
Instructions
- Warm the 1 tbsp Olive oil in a large cast-iron dish over medium heat on the hob.
- Add the pork sausages and fry, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
- Remove from the pan and set to one side.
- Add the bacon, onion and garlic and fry for 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Stir in the flour and tomato puree.
- Add the swede and carrots and return the sausages to the pan.
- Pour in the cider and stock, and add the sage and mustard. Stir well.
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C (fan-assisted).
- Bring to a simmer.
- Remove from the heat and cover with the lid.
- Place in the oven and cook for 40 minutes.
- In the last 10 minutes, melt the butter in a large non-stick pan over medium heat on the hob.
- Add the apples and fry for a few minutes on each side, until lightly golden.
- Carefully remove the casserole from the oven and stir in the pan-fried apples.
- Serve.
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
