Apple cider sausage casserole

There is nothing like a piping hot casserole on a cold winter evening, served with some lovely potatoes and your favourite vegetables. A dish that warms you from the inside out.

One of my favourite ones since childhood has always been a sausage casserole, with a lovely thick gravy loaded with soft onions.

There are so many vegan options for sausages now and I’m sure you all have your favourite brand. For me, it has to be either Garden Gourmet or Future Farm

You want a sausage that does not fall apart during the cooking time.

The gravy

I love a nice thick gravy, the type that coats the sausages and potatoes and lays in a thick puddle on the plate. For this, I have used gravy granules but you could use 2 teaspoons of cornflour mixed with a little bit of water mixed into the casserole in the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Although these sausages are vegan, sausage and apples are a good combination. On that train of thought, I arrived at the addition of cider. It has to be apple cider, not berry or pear.

Additions to the casserole

I like to ring the changes with what I add to the casserole, sometimes I add sliced red peppers, mushrooms or carrots.

Apple cider sausage casserole

• Preparation Time 15 Minutes
• Cooking Time 1 hour 45 Minutes
• Serves 3-4

Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and egg-free

• 1 pack of vegan sausages
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 2 medium eating apples peeled and sliced
• 1 vegan stock cube
• 140 ml of vegan cider
• 250ml of water
• 2 tbsp vegan gravy granules, gluten-free if necessary
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 tsp of dried thyme
• Salt and pepper
• Tin if butter beans drained and rinsed (optional)
• 1/2 sliced red pepper

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1. Preheat the oven to 200C and dissolve the stock cube into the hot water, stir and set aside.
2. In a frying pan add the sausages along with some oil and just cook until they are golden brown around the outside. Place them in a lidded casserole dish.
3. Add the onions to a hot pan and then reduce to low heat. Add a small knob of vegan butter to the pan and continue to cook on low heat for 15 minutes, adding the apple slices in the last five minutes. The onions need to be soft and golden. Take the onions and apple out with a slotted spoon and add to the casserole.
4. Pour the cider into the pan on a high heat and bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for a few minutes, then pour into the casserole.
5. Nex,t add the bay leaves, thyme, seasoning and gravy granules, stir the casserole and place it into the hot oven.
6. Cook in the oven for the time stated and then serve.

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Vegan and gluten-free ciders

• Stowford apple cider
• Merrydown original vintage cider
• Thatchers Gold cider
• Bullmers
• Aspall Sufolk cyder

• Spicy Roasted Pepper Pasta Sauce
• Lemon & Pistachio Cream Cookies
• Custard Cream Biscuits
• Vegan Tikka Masala
• Vegan Cottage Pie

If you like this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Twitter as @veganalchemist1 or my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thegfveganalchemist I would love to see seeing your versions of the recipes from the blog. All your comments and suggestions are welcome.