Slow cooker sausage and vegetable casserole

 

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 of your favorite sausages (Lincolnshire are mine)
• 1 onion, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
• 2 sticks celery, diced
• 2 peppers, mixed colors, seeded and diced
• 200g mushrooms, sliced
• 2 (400g) tins chopped tomatoes
• 1 (400g) tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 beef stock cube
• salt and pepper to taste
• 100ml red wine
• 1 tablespoon cornflour (optional)

Method

Spray a nonstick frying pan with oil and put it on moderate heat. When hot enough add the sausages and cook for a few minutes just to start them to brown on the outside, without cooking all the way through.
Add the onion, garlic, celery, and peppers and fry gently for about 5 minutes.
In the slow cooker add the mushrooms, tinned tomatoes, kidney beans, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, beef stock cube, and salt and pepper. Give it a quick stir and transfer all the contents of the frying pan to the slow cooker.
Add the wine and stir again. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low according to slow cooker instructions. I have found it only takes around 4-5 hours on low but I have also left it to cook for up to 8 hours.
Before serving, if it is a little too watery for your taste, dilute 1 tablespoon cornflour in 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water. Add to slow cooker and stir well, then leave to cook for a further 30 minutes to thicken.
Serve with mashed potato or rice.