This easy one pot sausage casserole is the kind of hearty, comforting dinner you’ll want to make on repeat. Made with tender pork sausages simmered in a rich tomato-based sauce, it’s a simple, family-friendly meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights or cold winter evenings.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ this casserole recipe worked well for me. it was easy to make and flavoursome. thanks sally! – james
Sausages are such a versatile ingredient and are always a great option to throw in the trolley for that rainy day when you don’t know what to make for dinner. As a side note, this recipe is even better made on a literal rainy day as it’s warm, comforting and cosy, so it’s definitely one to bookmark for then.
Sausages on their own can be pretty boring but cooked this way in this thick tomato sauce they become something else entirely and I can’t get enough. And if you love this, then you’ll probably also love these classic curried sausages!
Now quick disclosure, I’m pretty sure technically a casserole is cooked in the oven and this recipe is cooked completely on the stove top but I’m rolling with calling it a casserole based on the style of food and the type of pot this is cooked in.
When testing this recipe I made a version in the oven and it took a lot longer to cook and I just didn’t like the results as much. I find with the stove top method everything breaks down a little more as it cooks in liquid (does this make it a braise?) and the result is buttery soft sausages full of flavour and a thick and rich sauce just asking to be scooped up with a thick slice of toasted garlic bread.
While you need a bit of time to make this recipe, it’s really not that involved and mostly just cooks away on it’s own and makes your home smell divine.
Key Ingredients
You’ll need around 11 ingredients to make this one pot sausage casserole but don’t let the list put you off as most of these ingredients are those that you can keep stocks of to make a range of delicious meals, just like this one!
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cumberland sausages – a pork sausage originating from England and one of my favourite varieties. I love the extra flavour these add to the meal but you can really just use any you like.
- Onion and garlic – this forms the base of our dish and gives the tomato sauce a deep, delicious flavour
- Potatoes and carrots – contributing to the sauce as they break down, they also bulk out the dish
- Tomato paste – making a nice rich sauce
- Can tomatoes – I like to use either crushed or diced tomatoes here but any will work to form the tomato sauce.
- Beef stock – I use the continental brand stock pod as I find they have so much flavour and are a great thing to have in the pantry to add extra flavour to any meal. But you can use any beef stock here as a substitute.
- Dried thyme or oregano – I’ve used both and don’t have a preference. You could also add fresh herbs at the end instead.
- Smoked paprika – optional really but just gives a little extra smokey flavour that makes this extra delicious.
- Traditional gravy mix – the final ingredient used at the end to thicken the sauce instead of using corn flour. You could of course use corn flour instead but the gravy mix gives everything so much flavour, you just have to try it. I promise it’s the secret to making this dish so good!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by prepping all of the ingredients so you have everything ready to add when you need it. To do this, peel and slice your onions and garlic and roughly chop the potatoes and carrots into cubes. You’ll want to wash them but you don’t worry about peeling them.
Measure out the spices and gather all the other ingredients so you have them on hand when needed.
Start by heating some oil in the base of the pot and add in your sausages. You want to cook them enough so they are browned but they don’t need to be cooked all the way through. Once the sausages are brown, remove them from the pot, place on a plate and set aside.
Straight to the pan add your sliced onions. Using the wooden spoon sauté them until they have browned and are soft.
To the onions, add in the garlic and the spice along with the tomato paste. Give it a really good mix using a wooden spoon, cooking for just another minute or two until it darkens slightly to help develop the flavour.
Add in the potatoes and carrots and cook with the tomato paste and onions for a couple of minutes, mixing well so that the vegetables are coated.
To the pot add the canned tomatoes, stock pod and water. I use the empty tomato can to measure the water to get any last bits of tomato that remain. If you don’t have a stock pod, you can substitute the water with regular beef stock.
Mix everything together and then add the sausages back into the pot submerged in the liquid. Bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30-40 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.
Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 15 minutes to let some of the liquid reduce before adding in the gravy mix. Stir through for a minute or two until it thickens.
Servings suggestion: You could serve this with rice or mashed potato, but the very best thing to serve this casserole with is garlic bread. If you don’t want to make your own, there are a few supermarket brands that are dairy free (they use margarine not butter), so just pop that in the oven while the casserole finishes and use it to soak up all the delicious tomato sauce. It’s so good!
Recipe FAQs
Currently this recipe is for the stovetop method only as I didn’t get the same results when cooking in the oven and haven’t tried using the slow cooker method. If I do, I’ll be sure to update the post.
This recipe is centred around the flavours of the sausages and they are an important part of this recipe so I do not recommend substituting here. If you did want to try vegetarian sausages and a beef-style stock instead then that would probably be your best option however I haven’t tested it so I cannot guarantee you’ll get similar results.
As this stove-top casserole already has potatoes in it, I’d recommend serving on it’s own with a side of crusty bread or garlic bread and maybe a light green salad for contrast to the richness of the meal.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More one pot recipes:
One Pot Sausage and Broccoli Pasta
One Pot Spicy Sausage Pasta
One Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta
Beef Minestrone Soup
One Pot Sausage Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cumberland sausages
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 medium potatoes
- 2 medium carrots
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 x 400 gram can diced tomatoes
- 600 mls water
- 1 x 28 gram beef stock pod
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt & pepper
- 1 tablespoon traditional gravy mix
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables by peeling and slicing the onions and garlic. Chop the carrots and potatoes into 2cm cubes.
- Heat a small amount of olive oil in a heavy based casserole pot on medium-high heat and add the sausages. Fry them until brown, they don’t have to be cooked through, and then remove them from the pan and set aside.
- To the same pan, add the sliced onions and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until the onions have softened and browned. Add the garlic, tomato paste and spices and mix through for another minute.
- Add in the potatoes and carrots to thepot and cook with the tomato paste and onions for a couple of minutes, mixing well so that the vegetables are coated.
- To the pot, add the can of tomatoes, the water (use the can from the tomatoes to measure, it’s 1.5 can fulls) and the beef stock pod. Mix to combine everything.
- Finally, add back in the sausages and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer and place the lid on to cook for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 15 minutes to let some of the liquid reduce before adding in the gravy mix. Stir through for a minute or two until it thickens. Serve with some bread or my preference, garlic bread and top with fresh herbs.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This recipe was originally published in October 2021 and has been updated in 2025 with new photos.
James says
This casserole recipe worked well for me. It was easy to make and flavoursome. I appreciated the introduction to the beef stock pod. Thanks Sally.
Sally says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe James!
James says
This casserole is delicious, and easy to make. Thank you Sally for introducing me to Continental stock pods.
Sally says
So glad you enjoyed this one James! They are a pantry essential for sure!!
Chris says
Haven’t tasted this yet, I’ve only just started cooking it. But I noticed your recipe says to chop up the potatoes and carrots, and then….that’s it 🤷♂️ It says nothing else about them, when to add them to the pot. I figured I just throw them in the same time as the sausages after the tomatoes and water, but yeah the recipe doesn’t actually specify.
Sally says
Hi Chris, sorry about that and thank you so much for bringing that silly typo to my attention! Hopefully the step by step photos in the post helped as well to show you when I usually add them, but I’ve now updated the post and recipe steps. I hope you enjoyed it!