A Banger of a Sausage Casserole – Super Simple Recipe 12

Sausage Casserole might well be considered as a comfort style food meal – and I’m not sure there is such as thing as healthy comfort food – but I do know that you can take a classic comfort food dish and make it healthier. This is one that has been given the ‘treatment’ and if portion controlled can be considered bariatric-friendly. It takes the basics of sausages and beans with a delicious tomato sauce and, providing the sausages are good quality meaty ones and not loaded with fat or fillers, has a role to play in a good simple family meal repertoire.

The ingredients and method are simple enough to be able to fit into our Super Simple Recipe category alongside other easy recipes for mid-week eating when time is at a premium. For those with heartier appetites or non-wls then some brown rice, sweet potatoes or spiralised veggies make a good accompaniment.

 

If you wish to make it on a ‘Meatless Monday’ then simply use vegetarian sausages and follow the pack instructions.

 

BARIATRIC SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS

METRIC/US

low-fat cooking spray or mist

about 8-10 thin or chipolata low-fat, high meat sausages (I used 1 x 340 g/12 oz package Heck Chicken Italia Sausages)

2 onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp smoked paprika or hot chilli powder

1 x 400 g/14 ox can chopped tomatoes

300 ml/1¼ cups chicken stock/bouillon

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp mixed dried herbs

2 bay leaves (optional)

4 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)

1 x 400 g/14 oz can mixed beans, drained and rinsed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

parsley sprigs to garnish

 

Method

1.  Spritz a large lidded frying pan with low-fat cooking spray or mist and heat. Add the sausages and cook on all sides until brown, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cut into bite-sized pieces if liked.
2.  Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until softened and browned.
3.  Sprinkle over the paprika or chilli powder and cook for 1 minute.
4.  Add the tomatoes, chicken stock/bouillon, tomato paste, dried herbs and bay leaves and thyme if used, mixing well. Add the browned sausages, bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
5.  Add the beans, season to taste and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

 

SERVES 4

WLS PORTION: ½

V suitable for Vegetarians (if vegetarian sausages are used)

 

CALORIES PER PORTION: (using Heck Chicken Italia sausages) 278

PROTEIN: 32.5g

CARBOHYDRATE: 28.7g

FAT: 3.9g

 

Image courtesy of http://www.proteinworld.com