Dr Mobeus
Sausage and Lentil Casserole
Value sausages get a bad reputation, but brown them properly and slow-cook them in a lentil stew and they turn into something completely different. The lentils break down into a thick, savoury gravy that coats everything in richness. At 88p per portion this feels like a proper pub dinner, not a budget meal. It is the kind of dish that makes you wonder why anyone pays for ready meals.
Total cost: £3.50 (£0.88 per portion) – Serves 4 people. Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 35 mins
Sausage and Lentil Casserole
Cheap sausages plus red lentils equals a meal that punches well above its price tag. The lentils cook down into a thick gravy that makes even basic sausages taste impressive.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oil in a large casserole dish. Add the sausages and brown them on all sides - about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the onion and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes until softening.
- Add the garlic and thyme, cook for 1 minute.
- Add the red lentils, chopped tomatoes and stock. Stir well.
- Nestle the sausages back into the mixture. Bring to a simmer.
- Cover and cook for 25-30 minutes until the lentils are tender and the sauce is thick. Season to taste.
Tips and Variations
You don’t need expensive sausages for this – the long cooking time does the work. Add a bay leaf if you have one. Mashed potato on the side turns this into proper comfort food. Leftovers are even better the next day.
Is it cheaper to make this from scratch? Use our Cook vs Buy Calculator to compare the real cost of homemade vs shop-bought.
