A hearty and comforting one pot sausage casserole with lots of veg, plump pearl barley and a rich red wine sauce. Perfect winter warmer for the family.

I confess, I’ve never been a fan of washing up.  It’s always the necessary evil after a busy day cooking and recipe testing.  So anything that can be cooked in one pot, like this sausage casserole, is a total win for me.  That’s not the only way this veggie packed meal shines though.  It’s also really easy to prepare, and you can even increase the quantity to make even quicker meals for later in the week.  Or have something hearty and warming on hand in the freezer.  You can also adapt to whatever veg you have on hand or prefer.  Oh and it’s utterly delicious.  Truly, I’m making this on repeat at the moment now that the frost has well and truly arrived here in the UK.  Brrrrr.

The pearl barley is a really cheap way to add a tonne of nutrients to a meal as well as filling out the casserole with even more flavour and texture.  I love it.

Use whatever sausages you like for this recipe as I know we all have our favourites.  Personally I flit between favourites and I rather like these Tesco Plant Chef ones currently.  Though it can also depend on what’s on special offer 😉

How to make a really easy sausage casserole:

If you’re shorter on time you can cook the sausages in a separate pan.  But if you’re in less of a rush start by cooking the sausages in a little oil in a large saute pan or saucepan.  Fry until completely cooked through then transfer to a plate.

While they’re cooking, prep the veg.  I’ve used a combo of sweet potato and carrots for this.  But I’ve used everything from turnips, butternut squash, courgettes and parsnips.  You want bite sized-ish chunks of root veg, finely chopped onion and crushed garlic.  I’ve been super lazy recently (and because there was one of those offer things) and bought ready crushed garlic in a jar.  Super, super lazy.

Once the sausages are cooked, add a little more oil to the pan and saute the veggies for just a few minutes, stirring from time to time until just starting to colour.

Add in the herbs and spices followed by the red wine, vegetable stock (or stock cubes and water), pearl barley and mustard.  Give everything a good stir then leave to bubble for 10-15 minutes until a lot of the liquid has been absorbed and the pearl barley is plump and cooked.

Stir in the chutney and the mushrooms and bubble for another 5 or so minutes until the mushrooms as just cooked.  Season to taste and you may need to add a little more water if it’s starting to look a little dry.  If your sauce is also a little thin don’t be afraid to add a few vegetable gravy granules – this helps the sauce turn silky and even more delicious!

Return the sausages to the pan for a couple of minutes to heat through.

Wasn’t that easy?!  I really hope you try this recipe out.  It’s one I’ve made again and again this autumn and winter because it’s just so simple, warming and delicious!

Looking for even more easy one pan vegan meal ideas?  Try these:

Gnocchi with Sprouts and Sage Butter

Sausage and Mushroom Stroganoff

Butternut Squash and Gnocchi Bake

Udon Noodles with Black Garlic and King Oyster Mushrooms

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