Smokey Sausage and Bacon Casserole

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

4 Cumberland Sausages

4 Rashers of Streaky Bacon

4 Shallots

1 Cube of Chicken or Vegetable Stock

2 Cloves of Garlic

1 Tsp of Chilli Flakes

1 Tbsp of Smoked Paprika

2 Tins of Chopped Tomatoes

1 Tbsp of Honey

1 Tbsp of Dried Oregano

1 Tbsp of Dried Sage

1 Tsp of Nutmeg

1 Tbsp of Dried Thyme

2 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary

4 Strands of Fresh Thyme

1 Small Glass of Red Wine

1 Tin of Butter Beans

Method:

Start by frying the sausages in a large pan or casserole dish with a tablespoon of oil. Keep them sizzling for a good ten to fifteen minutes so that they become crispy and gold. Once cooked through, set aside and replace with the streaky bacon, which you should slice into small bite size strips. Just like the sausages, let them crisp up as much as possible, then set aside.

In the same pan on a low heat, fry the shallots and garlic with a tablespoon of olive oil. As they begin to soften and sweat, add the dried herbs and spices. After a few minutes cooking and stirring regularly, add the chopped tinned tomatoes and honey. Crumble in the cube of stock and pour in the glass of red wine. You could add a little glass of water at this point too if you think the sauce is too thick. Water also helps to enhance the flavour of the chopped tomatoes and will make the sauce go further.

Add the fresh herbs to the pan, then all of the meat. Stir all of the ingredients together, keeping the pan on a low heat, allowing the dish to simmer for about twenty-five minutes, with the lid on the pan.

Finally, drain and rinse the butter beans before adding them to the mixture and stirring thoroughly. Season generously with salt and pepper and simmer for another five minutes.

Serve with mash or a crusty loaf of bread for a lovely warming pub style treat.