Chilli Spicy Sausages With Beans
My dad used to make this dish when we were growing up. He’d have it cooking in the oven on low for ages. The smell of it cooking always reminds me of him busy in the kitchen.
We loved it, though to be honest it was often just a tad too hot for me on occasion. (My dad loved his food really spicy).
When I met my husband he really enjoyed it as well so all through the years of our married life I’ve had to make it for him on a regular basis. I’ve adapted the recipe over the years, I never really knew what my dad put in his so I just guessed at the ingredients. Plus I always now make it in the slow cooker instead of the oven. It’s a perfect dish for the slow cooker.
Anyway, over the years this is the recipe I’ve come up with. It’s a firm family favourite in our house and I always have to make a huge potful as my brother in law also loves it. It also freezes really well so it’s perfect to pop the remainder in the freezer for a quick meal for another day.
Ingredients (This should feed a family of 4 with a decent portion each). You can always add extra ingredients as needed if you want to make more.
* 1 lb, 1/2 kilo of sausages I like Lincolnshire sausages, nut any will do
* 2 tins baked beans (Cheap beans are perfect)
* 1-2 Tins of tomatoes
* Mushrooms to taste, (These can be optional)
* Mixed peppers to taste (I use frozen)
* Garlic to taste
* Salt & Pepper to taste
* 1 large onion
* Chilli to taste. I buy the jars of ready prepared chilli, but fresh or dry is fine.
* Gravy granules to thicken the mixture. I use beef or onion granules.
Method
My slow cooker has a metal pan so it’s easy to use on the hob when putting it all together. If your slow cooker pan is ceramic then you’ll need to start it off in a pan or wok then transfer to the slow cooker to finish cooking.
- Chop your sausages and place them in the pan to slightly brown off. you may need to add a dash of oil to stop them sticking. (You don’t need to cook them through)
- Once you’ve browned them off drain any excess fat away and lower the heat so they’re simmering
- Once the sausages have browned off, add your sliced onions. Stir on a regular basis to stop the mixture from sticking.
- Now add your sliced mushrooms and mixed peppers, stir until it’s well mixed
- You can add all of your seasoning now, make sure you don’t overdo the chilli if you don’t like it really hot. If you’re not used to using it, I’d suggest you just sprinkle it on to start with. As it cooks, the chilli flavour will get stronger.
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- Add your tinned beans, tomatoes and gravy granules and give it a good stir. If the mixture is too thick, just add some water to thin it down a tad.
- Let it come to the boil then cook on the hob for 10-15 minutes on a low heat so it’s just simmering. Make sure you keep stirring it so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Now you need to transfer it to the preheated slow cooker. Give it another good stir and leave it to cook on a medium to high heat depending on how long you are going to cook it for. I usually start it off mid morning, leave it on medium in my slow cooker until we eat at 6pm.
It’s great served on it’s own or with homemade garlic bread or you can serve it with chips or wedges, whatever you fancy.
Tip, You can always use other beans rather than baked. I found a jar of kidney beans languishing in my cupboard once and I threw them in, they were delicious.
I hope you enjoy this family favourite. It’s a great cheap and cheerful meal that’s really filling. And if you want to make a bigger portion, just add more of each ingredient, just be careful with that chilli…
