Sausage Casserole

I'm posting this recipe having cooked it a while ago but really for my colleague Rachel.It's a really great recipe and very yummy. Photo is from bbc food as I wasn't blogging when I last made it.

Serves 6
1-2 tbspn Sunflower oil
12 Pork sausages
6 Rashers streaky bacon cut into strips
2 Onions thinly sliced
2 Garlic cloves crushed
Half to one teaspoon hot chilli powder or smoked paprika
1Large tin chopped tomatoes
300mls chicken stock
2 tbsn tomato puree
1 tbsn Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsn dark muscovado sugar
1 tspn dried mixed herbs
2 bayleaves
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
100mls white wine ( optional )
1 Large tin butter beans ( or mixed beans )
Salt and black pepper to taste

Heat a tablespoon of the oil and fry sausages until nice and brown, drain, transfer to a large ovenproof dish  and set aside.
Fry the bacon until brown and add to the sausages.
Fry the onion gently for about 5 minutes - add a little more oil if necessary. Add garlic and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until all golden brown.
Sprinkle over chilli or paprika and cook for a few seconds.
Stir in tomatoes, chicken stock, Worcetershire sauce, tomato puree, brown sugar and herbs.
Pour over the wine ( or water if you're not using wine ) and bring to a simmer
Pour mixture over sausages and bacon and heat to a simmer.
Cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
Drain the beans and rinse well under cold water, add to the mixture and cook for a further 10 minutes stirring until thick.
Season to taste and serve with crusty bread.

Just a couple of things, I added chilli and paprika because I love the flavour of both, I used ordinary pork sausages not expensive ones as we often find he flavour and texture of better quality sausages kind of, well, porky. Too porky! Sounds odd but sometimes cheaper sausages just taste better.

Debs