Sausage and Beer Casserole is a brilliant family dinner. It’s delicious, but it’s also really easy to cook, budget-friendly and comforting. One of my quick and easy favourites.
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I love a good Sausage and Beer Stew (no I’m not entirely sure what the difference is, and pretty much use the two interchangeably!).
A simple can of Guinness is a cheap and easy way to turn a budget pack of sausages into a super tasty family dinner.
Comforting, rich, filling and incredibly cheap and easy. It’s the perfect midweek meal.
The best thing is, both sausages and beer are filled with flavour, so there’s hardly anything to do but pour things into a pot and let them simmer.
Which is ideal for any busy family.
What Beer Should You Use in Beer Casserole?
I use Guinness when I make Sausage and Ale Casserole. It’s relatively cheap, easy to get, and while I don’t personally drink beer, Jim likes it.
Guinness is thick, with a rich flavour. So, Sausage and Guinness Casserole is always going to taste great.
Is Alcohol Really Cooked Off in Food?
For the most part, yes you do cook the alcohol off when you cook food, but it depends on a few things.
A dish with a large quantity of alcohol, or higher proof alcohol, has more alcohol in, in the first place, and so it’s more likely that there will still be some left after cooking.
The cooking time also plays a part. A slow-cooked stew, casserole or pie has a long time to cook off the alcohol. Something that cooks much faster, or that you add the alcohol to later, won’t have as much chance.
Basically, the lower the alcohol content and the longer you cook it for the less will remain.
Is a Casserole with Beer Suitable for Children?
Yes. A casserole that cooks for an hour and that only contains 500ml of beer, which is fairly low-alcohol, that’s been in it from the start is unlikely to have any alcohol left when you serve. If it does, it will be a trace amount.
Something that’s had a high proof spirit added at the end of the cook would be different.
What Can I Use Instead of Beer in a Casserole?
If you don’t like the idea of cooking with beer, you can, of course, skip it. Personally, I’d probably replace with some tinned tomatoes for flavour, but you can just add extra stock and experiment with different herbs and spices. Bay would work well.
What Vegetables go in a Sausage and Beer Casserole?
This Sausage and Stout Casserole is meant to be really easy and simple, so I just add some peeled and sliced carrots.
Carrots are always fab in any casserole and add colour as well as flavour and nutrients.
Chantanay carrots would be nice too, and you could also add shallots if you wanted.
For a simple addition, just add some frozen peas for about 15 minutes before you serve.
How to Thicken Sausage and Ale Stew
I simmer my Casserole with sausages and beer for around an hour which gives it time to thicken up a little on its own.
If your casserole is still too watery, or you just like it a little thicker, the easiest thing to do is to simply simmer for longer. It will reduce and thicken given time.
If you don’t have the time or patience, then another option is mixing 2tbsp of cornflour with 2tbsp water and stirring this through.
Then let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes and you should start to see results.
Making a Vegetarian Sausage and Beer Casserole
You can absolutely make this Sausage and Beer Stew Recipe with vegetarian sausages. Just throw your favourites in and follow the recipe as it is.
What to Serve with Sausage and Beer Casserole
I like to serve sausage and beer casserole, and most other casseroles for that matter with mashed potatoes. Just personal preference though.
Other great options include crusty bread and new potatoes.
Can You Freeze Sausage and Beer Stew?
I always think that you can freeze most things.
Remove your stew from the cooking pot, into a cold, sealable tub, and leave it open to cool.
Then, seal and place in the freezer for up to two months.
You can either freeze the whole thing, in portions or just your leftovers.
Then, when you are ready to eat, thaw slowly in the fridge and warm gently in a pan until piping hot.
You can also keep leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed tub for 2-3 days, again just reheating gently until piping hot.
More Sausage Recipes
If you enjoy this meal, you might also like:
- Sausage and Bean Traybake
- Sausage Hotpot
- Sausage Risotto
- Spicy Sausage Pasta
- Sausage Burritos
- Sausage Curry
- Chorizo and Sausage Casserole
- Beef and Chorizo Casserole
Sausage and Beer Casserole
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Description
Sausage and Beer Casserole is a brilliant family dinner. It’s delicious, but it’s also really easy to cook, budget-friendly and comforting. One of my quick and easy favourites.
Ingredients
- Cooking Spray or oil
- 12 Pork Sausages
- 1 Red Onion (Diced)
- 2 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
- 10 Rashers Streaky Bacon (Roughly Chopped)
- 500ml Guinness
- 300ml Beef Stock
- 4 Medium Carrots (Peeled and Sliced)
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Puree
- 1 teaspoon Parsley
Instructions
- Heat the oil or spray in a large, flameproof dish or pan on the hob.
- Add the sausages and lightly brown (you might find it easier to do this in two batches).
- Remove to a plate or bowl.
- In the same oil (adding more if you need to) fry the onions, bacon and garlic for 5 minutes until soft.
- Pour in the Guinness, bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the beef stock, return the sausages and add the carrots, tomato puree and parsley and stir together well.
- Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Serve.
Notes
- You can season with salt and pepper to taste, but I find that this is a fairly salty-tasting meal, so please do taste the sauce before adding more.
- I cook in a large cast-iron dish like these (affiliate link)
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hours
- Category: Easy Midweek Meals
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 476kcal
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 1231mg
- Fat: 33g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21g
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 88mg
