sausage and mash pie

It’s utterly miserable and cold out today and on days like this I like to make something yummy and warming that will make us feel like we’re being hugged by food.  This sausage and mash pie is certainly that!  I also tend to make these types of meals first thing in the morning so that by the time the evening rolls around and I’m tired and can’t be bothered to cook, I know that there’s a glorious pie waiting for me. Anyone else do that?  I think particularly during lockdown it’s nice to pretend that someone else has done the cooking for once!!

comfort food

Sausage and mash is such comfort food and what makes this even easier is that I’m using frozen mash.  it’s my new revelation.  All the supermarkets do it but we tend to prefer the Sainsbury’s version.  I love it because it’s just potato, salt, pepper and butter… no nasties and it takes seconds to defrost and I can promise you it tastes like the fancy mash you can buy in the chiller aisles, plus it’s so inexpensive too!

In terms of vegetables and sausages, I’m using my favourite veg that I have in the fridge but feel free to add any kind of veg that you like, it’s really quite versatile.  I’m also using vegetarian sausage but I know this would also be delicious with any kind of meaty sausage too.  Just use in the same way.

sausage and mash pie

• 2 banana shallots – halved lengthways and then thickly sliced
• 1 stick of celery – roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot – roughly chopped
• 1/2 fennel bulb – roughly chopped
• 1/4 swede – roughly chopped
• 6 veggie sausages – each one cut into 3
• 2 old cauliflower florets
• 1 tablespoon of plain flour
• 1/2 litre of stock made up of part vegetable stock and part wine
• a teaspoon of yeast extract for colour and flavour
• 4 or 5 kale leaves – chopped
• roughly 300g frozen mash (needs to be enough to cover your pie dish once it’s full of stew)

place a shallow casserole dish on a medium heat and melt a little butter and olive oil, then stir in the shallots, celery, carrot, fennel and swede and sauté gently until they begin to soften – roughly 10 mins.  They will need stirring occasionally.

add the sausages and turn up the heat slightly so they can start to brown.  if you’re using meaty sausages you may want to brown them off in a separate pan first before stirring them in.

add the cauliflower and let that sauté for a couple of minutes.

stir in the flour, ensuring it coats all the veg and soaks up the juices, then pour in the stock, wine and yeast extract.  Place the chopped kale on top, turn the heat to low and place the lid on and let it bubble away gently for about 10 mins

pre-heat your oven to 170C

meanwhile, defrost your mash as per the instructions on the packet.  I like to stir in a little more butter here because I’m naughty!

spoon the sausage filling into the pie dish and gently place the mash all over – ‘fluff n ruff’ the top with a fork, then bake in the oven for 25-35 mins until golden and the sauce is bubbling up around the edges.

eat and of course, enjoy!