This Bangers, Mash and Mushrooms is one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted, and so simple and quick. In less than thirty minutes you can have an indulgent, comforting, but quite healthy feast on your plate. I've included a few notes on how the recipe can easily be adapted to become vegan. Equally, while I've used vegetarian sausages, you could use meat ones, whatever you like. I make this all the time because it's just a thing of beauty (though perhaps more in taste than to look at).
STEP ONE
The sausages. I've used Quorn this time, but I usually prefer Cauldron. The vegetarian Lincolnshire, or Cumberland, are really delicious and full of so much flavour, quite spicy in fact. This is the first time I've used these particular ones, which are the new and improved Quorn recipe, and I have to say that they are really tasty. I'm sure normal meat sausages will work much the same.
I used the sausages straight from the freezer, but defrosted them slightly. This allows you to slice them neatly. If they are completely thawed out then they break up and crumble, and you end up with a mess.
Slice the sausages into hefty chunks.
Into a hot pan stir; Olive Oil (or whatever oil you have, all vegetable oils work the same. You could even use butter), garlic purée (garlic salt works just the same), Mustard, salt and pepper.
Once all those things are mixed together, throw the sausages in. Stir them into the mixture and make sure they're coated, so they get all the flavour.
It doesn't look pretty, but the smell is heavenly, and it tastes GOOD!
Once the mixture has soaked into the sausages (you have to keep stirring), they will begin to cook. While this is happening, peel the mushrooms and cut them in half.
Once the sausages are starting to brown all over, throw the mushrooms in. Give it a good stir, and get everything mixed in together. Allow them to simmer, with the lid on, but stirring every couple of minutes, for about ten minutes, until everything looks brown and cooked.
STEP TWO
Which is basically just the potatoes. Once the sausages and mushrooms are browned, you need to stir in the mashed potato. Either have the potatoes ready and mashed at the beginning of the recipe, OR, if you're short of time and would like an easy option, I've found one. I recently discovered microwavable mash. Now, it's not as healthy as the real thing, but it's pretty good. I'm not usually in favour of this kind of thing, I hate it, but it doesn't taste like Smash, it tastes like delicious, fluffy mash, that you'd make yourself. I promise you, it tastes really good. Just follow the instructions on the packet.
Throw the potatoes into the pan, and give everything a really good stir. You want to get all the flavours mixed in.
You're now basically just waiting for the mash to be hot. Keep stirring it all together until it's piping hot, then crumble as much cheese in as you'd like. In my opinion, the more the better. I used cheddar, because I like the flavour and it melts, but use whatever you'd like.
STEP THREE
Serve!
Once the cheese has melted, get a plate and serve it. Eat it while it's hot!
That's it! What could be easier? I promise you, it is DELICIOUS! Mushrooms, cheese, potatoes, sausages full of flavour, what's not to like?
I hope you give this a go, and I'd really love to know how you get on, so let me know.
I'll leave you with my lovely Mum, who enjoyed it immensely, and told everyone in the pub about it.
