Sausage and Mash Pie is a fun twist on a family classic. Sausages, veggies and a rich sauce, all topped with creamy mash and cheese for a delicious family dinner.
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Bangers and Mash is probably one of our favourite comfort food dinners. Easy, cheap, tasty and super warming. The same goes for pie and mash.
Perfect for those cold, busy evenings.
Sausage and Mash Pie is a yummy twist of this super family classic, which we eat all the time, especially in autumn and winter.
Why I Love Sausage and Mash Pie
Potato and sausage pie is always a hit in our house. We love it because:
- It’s a full meal in one pot.
- You don’t need any sides or extras. It’s all there.
- It’s delicious.
- It’s different but still very familiar, making it ideal for kids.
- You can add different veggies and use different sausages. It’s a versatile dinner.
- It’s quick, easy and cheap. Everything I want from a family dinner.
Is It a Pie if It Hasn’t Got Pastry?
Sausage tomato and potato pie is absolutely still a pie.
I love a pastry-topped pie and even a pastry-topped sausage pie.
But I also love things like shepherd’s pie and fish pie, which are topped with mashed potatoes. This is a bit like a sausage cottage pie.
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Ingredients for Sausage and Mash Pie
When I make this Sausage and mash bake, I use:
Cooking Spray – Olive oil or another cooking oil is ok, too.
Pork Sausages
Red Onion
Carrots
Frozen Peas
Chopped Tomatoes
Chicken Stock – Beef stock or vegetable stock would work, too.
Tomato Puree
Thyme
Salt and Pepper
For the Mash
White Potatoes – Like Maris Piper or King Edwards
Butter – or margarine.
Milk – Semi-skimmed or whole. You could even use cream if you were feeling extra decadent.
Strong Cheddar Cheese
You’ll Also Need
You’ll need a chopping board and a sharp knife to prepare the ingredients for your easy sausage and mash pie.
I cook my sausage pie in a large cast-iron Dutch oven. Which is suitable for use on the hob and in the oven. If you have nothing that’s heatproof and flameproof, use a large frying pan on the hob before transferring to an ovenproof baking dish to bake.
You’ll also need a large saucepan, a colander, a potato masher, and a cheese grater to prepare your topping.
How to Make Sausage and Mash Pie – 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 a flameproof, ovenproof dish over medium heat.
Step Two
Mist with cooking spray.
Step Three
Gently brown your sausages for a few minutes before removing them from the pan and setting them to one side.
I recommend doing this in two batches so they’ve got plenty of space. This means that they are less likely to stick.
Step Four
Add the onions to the same pan, with more oil or cooking spray if needed.
Fry for 5 minutes, stirring often until they are starting to soften.
Step Five
Return the sausages, add the peas and carrots and stir well.
Step Six
Pour in the stock and chopped tomatoes.
Step Seven
Add the thyme, a good pinch of salt, freshly ground black pepper, and the tomato puree and stir well.
Step Eight
Bring to a bubble and then reduce the temperature slightly so it simmers gently.
Step Nine
Simmer for 1 hour, stirring regularly and scraping the bottom of the pan to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
Step Ten
While the sausages are simmering, prepare the mashed potato top.
Step Eleven – How to Make the Perfect Mashed Potato
Place the potatoes in a large pan of cold water, making sure they are all covered.
Step Twelve
Warm over high heat until boiling. Reduce to a rolling simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are soft. You can carefully stab one with a knife to make sure.
Step Thirteen
Drain carefully and return to the pan.
Step Fourteen
Toss the pan over very low heat for about 30 seconds until the potatoes are dry.
I tend to turn the hob off and use the residual heat, shaking the pan to toss and move the potatoes.
Step Fifteen
Remove from the heat.
Step Sixteen
Melt the butter and milk in a smaller pan and add a pinch of salt and pepper.
Step Seventeen
Pour over the potatoes and mash until smooth and creamy, adding more butter if needed.
Step Eighteen
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan-assisted).
Step Nineteen
Carefully spoon the mashed potato over the sausage mixture and spread evenly.
Step Twenty
Sprinkle over the grated cheese.
Step Twenty-One
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, and the sauce is bubbling up from the edges of the pan.
Step Twenty-Two
Leave to stand for a few minutes before serving.
Top Tips
- Your sausages will cook as the sauce simmers, so don’t worry too much about the browning. Just a few minutes to cook the edges will do.
- I pierce my sausages by stabbing them a few times with a sharp knife. This just stops the skin from splitting as it cooks.
- Unless you use a giant pan, I find it easier to brown them in 2 batches.
- If a little of the sausage meat sticks to the pan, add a little stock (literally a splash) once the sausages have been removed, either before or with the onions, and carefully scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula. You don’t need to throw this away or clean your pan correctly. It will just cook in with everything else and add to the flavour.
- Stir your sausage mix regularly while it simmers to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
- If your sauce is still very thin and hasn’t reduced after an hour, mix one tablespoon of cornflour with a bit of water and stir through. Simmer for a few more minutes, and it should thicken.
- You can also simmer for longer or try an extra tablespoon of tomato puree.
- If the flavour is too strong, dilute with a cup of water and simmer for longer to reduce. I always recommend tasting the sauce before you add the mash.
- I make my mash when the sausages first start to simmer. I find it easier to add them. When they’ve had the chance to cool, if you make them early, just leave them on one side; don’t cover them while they are still warm, as you’ll add extra moisture from the condensation.
- I use a large cast-iron dish (affiliate link) to make my sausage and mash pie. But, if you haven’t got an ovenproof dish that you can also use on the hob, prepare the sausages and filling in a large frying pan before tipping into your ovenproof dish and topping with mash ready to bake.
Serving Suggestions
Bangers and mash bake is perfect as it is. It’s got meat, veggies, sauce, potatoes and even cheese.
If you want to add something extra, a little bread and butter or a crunchy loaf to mop up the sauce would be lovely.
You don’t need to serve this sausage-and-mash pie with gravy or onion gravy. It’s got plenty of sauce.
Variations
Bangers and mash pie is a versatile dinner, and it’s easy to make some changes.
I add peas and carrots, but other veggies would be good, too. I like chantenay carrots.
You can also experiment with different kinds of sausage (including vegetarian sausages) and even try making your cheesy sausage and mash pie with different types of cheese.
Red Wine
I don’t think that this sauce needs red wine.
But if you want to add a richer flavour, swap 150ml of stock with a dry red wine.
How to Make a Sausage and Bean Pie
Baked beans would, of course, make a fantastic addition to your cheesy sausage and mash pie. Add a tin with the stock and mix them in well.
You could also add things like butterbeans or kidney beans.
Leftovers
Leftover sausage and mash pie can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven in an ovenproof dish.
Cook in the oven at 180 degrees C (fan-assisted) for about 15 minutes, depending on how much is left, until the middle is piping hot.
If there’s not much left, you could cook some extra mash or extra vegetables to have enough for a meal.
Storage
If you are saving leftovers, remove them from the cooking dish to cool as quickly as possible. When fully cool, place in an airtight or covered container in the fridge and keep for up to two days.
FAQ
High-quality pork sausages are best if you can. They tend to have a higher meat quantity. But any will do. If you are on a budget, use what you can afford.
Sausage and mash pie isn’t particularly healthy. But in moderation, it’s fine!
I use cheddar cheese on my pie. It tastes great, melts well, and browns nicely.
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy
Sausages are always a good option when it comes to easy family meals. Some of my favourites include:
- Sausage Risotto
- Sausage Pasta Bake
- Sausage Traybake
- Spicy Sausage Pasta
- Sausage and Baked Bean Bake
- Sausage and Beer Casserole
- Chorizo and Sausage Casserole
The Recipe
Sausage and Mash Pie
Ingredients
- Cooking Spray (Or Oil)
- 12 Pork Sausages (Pricked a few times with a sharp knife)
- 1 Red Onion (Diced)
- 3 Large Carrots (Peeled and roughly chopped)
- 150 g Frozen Peas
- 400 g Chopped Tomatoes
- 500 ml Chicken Stock
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 1 Teaspoon Thyme
- Salt and pepper
For the Mash
- 1 kg White Potatoes (Like Maris Piper or King Edwards – Peeled and chopped)
- 70 g Butter (or margarine)
- 50 ml Milk
- 40 g Strong Cheddar Cheese (Grated)
Instructions
- Warm a flameproof, ovenproof dish over medium heat.
- Mist with cooking spray.
- Gently brown your sausages for a few minutes before removing them from the pan and setting them to one side.
- Add the onions to the same pan, with more oil or cooking spray if needed.
- Fry for 5 minutes, stirring often until they are starting to soften.
- Return the sausages, add the peas and carrots and stir well.
- Pour in the stock and chopped tomatoes.
- Add the thyme, a good pinch of salt, freshly ground black pepper, and the tomato puree and stir well.
- Bring to a bubble and then reduce the temperature slightly so it simmers gently.
- Simmer for 1 hour, stirring regularly.
- While the sausages are simmering, prepare the mashed potato top.
- Place the potatoes in a large pan of cold water, making sure they are all covered.
- Warm over a hot heat until boiling.
- Reduce to a rolling simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
- Drain carefully and return to the pan.
- Toss the pan over a very low heat for about 30 seconds until the potatoes are dry.
- Remove from the heat.
- Melt the butter and milk in a smaller pan and add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Pour over the potatoes and mash until smooth and creamy, adding more butter if needed.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan-assisted).
- Carefully spoon the mashed potato over the sausages and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle over the grated cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and browned and the sauce is bubbling up from the edges of the pan.
- Leave to stand for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- If a little of the sausage meat sticks to the pan, add a little stock once the sausages have been removed, either before or with the onions, and carefully scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula.
- If the sauce becomes too dry, add a little water.
- If it’s still too watery, either add more tomato puree, simmer for longer, or mix one tablespoon of cornflour with a little water and stir through before simmering for five more minutes.
- I use a large cast-iron dish (affiliate link) to make my sausage and mash pie. If you haven’t got an ovenproof dish that you can also use on the hob, prepare the sausages and the filling in a large frying pan before tipping them into your ovenproof dish and topping them with mash. It’s a bit more washing up, but it’s ok.
- Read the post above for more tips and advice.
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.
