This simple sausage and bean casserole is a simple and hearty recipe that comes together quickly and easily. One pot and 30 minutes are all you need to get this white bean casserole on the table.
Hearty dishes like sausage and bean bakes are the cornerstone of getting through fall and winter with the most comfort and simplicity possible. Some dishes that feature heavily in my budget-friendly autumn and winter cooking are simple recipes like this sausage tray bake, this sausage and pepper pasta, and of course this chorizo sausage gnocchi bake. And this slow cooker sausage casserole is always a big hit!
This nourishing casserole dinner features caramelised red onion sausages, creamy white beans, spinach, and bread crumbs to thicken everything up. It's very similar to a French cassoulet.
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⭐️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- You only need a few very simple ingredients.
- It's hearty and filling.
- It's the perfect cross between a casserole and a stew.
- Creamy and loaded with spinach, you can added other vegetables to change it up and use what you have on hand.
- Almost no prep time. The only prep you need to do is slice an onion of some leeks.
- It makes a nice change from most of the tomato based sausage casseroles.
- Keeps well- fridge and freezer meaning it's perfect for meal prep.
- A great way to use sausages besides with mash and gravy.
🧾 Ingredients
You only need a few very basic ingredients that you can find in any grocery store.
- pork sausages- you can use chicken sausages if you prefer. And you can certainly change up the flavors. Cumberland, Lincolnshire, and Bramley apple all work really well here.
- white beans- butter beans or cannellini are great. They both bring a creaminess to the casserole.
- thyme- dried or fresh.
- onion- I originally planned for this sausage and white bean casserole to be made with leeks rather than onion, but my Aldi didn't have any so I adapted the recipe. So if you can find leek, I highly recommend you give them a try.
- garlic
- chicken stock- made with some boiling water and a chicken stock cube. You can use vegetarian stock cubes too.
- bread crumbs- I've used plain crackers because I didn't have any stale bread. They work great.
- Creme fraiche- you can use sour cream here too. But you need to use full fat so that the sauce doesn't split.
See recipe card for quantities.
📖 Substitutions & Variations
- Beans - instead of butter beans you can use cannellini beans.
- sausages - you can really use any type of sausage here. A spicy Italian sausage would be a great way to up the boldness of this recipe.
- Spinach - use kale or cavalo nero instead of spinach.
- Gluten-free - use gluten-free bread or crackers to thicken this casserole.
👩🏻🍳 Step By Step sausage and bean casserole
This recipe is very quick and easy only requiring one pan and about 30 minutes.
1 & 2
- Heat some olive oil or vegetable oil in the pan. Brown the sausages on all sides and cook through. Set aside on a plate.
- Gently saute the garlic and onion until they are soft, fragrant, and translucent but don't have any colour. Pour in the stock, white wine (if using), and stir in the spinach, and creme fraiche. Mix until it's smooth and creamy.
3 & 4
Once the sauce is creamy and the spinach is wilted, mix in half the bread crumbs and most of the parmesan cheese saving a little bit for sprinkling on top.
Add the sausages back to the pan and continue to simmer very gently over medium heat with the lid on until the sausages are cooked through and the bean casserole has thickened. Sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs and parmesan. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil (completely optional) and serve.
Hint: You can also cook the sausages separately in a non-stick pan or under the grill in your oven.
🍯 Storage
This white bean and sausage casserole reheats really well. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place in the microwave and add a tablespoon of water to the casserole. Reheat in 30 second intervals mixing in the water so that the casserole doesn't get too thick.
For freezing- divide the casserole evenly between freezer-safe containers and allow it to cool completely before covering. Label each container with the contents and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat- place the frozen container in the fridge overnight or on the worktop for a few hours. Microwave on medium power in 30-second intervals. Add some water if the casserole gets too thick.
💡 Top tip
Be sure to get a good amount of colour on the sausages when browning them. This really helps to add lots of flavour to the finished dish.
❓FAQ
Because there's a lot of protein in the beans and sausages, this is a very filling dish. But some great side dishes would be
-roasted tomatoes
-rosemary garlic potatoes
-mashed potatoes
-roasted or steamed vegetables
Absolutely! It can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. In the above instructions for reheating it specifies to use a microwave. This is best with a single serving leftover. But if you make this ahead to reheat the whole dish it's best reheated in the oven at 160ºc (fan) or 180ºc regular. Cover with a lid or some foil and reheat for about 20 minutes until hot all the way through.
Easy One Pot Sausage and Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, fresh or dried
- 150 ml white wine, optional
- 1 chicken stock cube dissolved in 250ml boiling water
- 400 g tin butterbeans, drained and rinsed
- 300 g baby spinach, washed
- 6 Cumberland or Lincolnshire sausages
- 1 lemon, zest
- 25 g breadcrumbs made from stale bread or crackers
- 2 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream
- 20 g parmesan, grated
Instructions
- In a heavy sauce pan or cast iron pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, it will shimmer, add the sausages to the pan and cook on all sides until golden brown. Remove the sausages to a plate and set aside while you make the bean casserole.
- Add a drop more olive oil to the pan and add the diced onion, thyme and garlic, Saute until softened about 5 minutes. Once the onions are soft, pour in the white wine, chicken stock and butterbeans. Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes to simmer off the alcohol.
- Add the spinach, creme fraiche, lemon zest, most of the bread crumbs (save 2 tablespoons for topping) and parmesan cheese. Mix until smooth and creamy. Place the sausages back into the casserole.
- Cover with a lid and cook for another 5 minutes to ensure the sausages are hot. Remove the lid, and top with the remaining bread crumbs, some extra parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil. Divide between bowls and serve.
Rebecca Broad
Was definitely a hit! I was slightly confused as to where/when the lemon zest went in as it states it in the picture and in the list of ingredients but not in the method that I could find so I just had to wing it and popped it in nearer the end. Still a great recipe though
Deborah Rainford
So happy it was a hit! Sorry about missing the lemon zest. Just updated the recipe to include it in the method. Thanks for catching that. And thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a rating. It's so appreciated! 🙂