Slow Baked Sausages with Onion Gravy - Simple, Comforting, Delicious

 

 

Slow‑baked sausages tucked into a bed of soft, sweet onion and apple gravy make the kind of meal that feels like it’s been tending itself all afternoon. This cozy dish turns simple ingredients into deep, rich comfort: sausages slowly roast until bronzed and tender, while the onions collapse into a glossy, savory gravy that begs to be spooned over fluffy mashed potatoes. It’s unfussy, hearty, and perfect for days when you want the oven to do most of the work and the kitchen to smell like home.

 

I had picked up some meaty sausages for my daughter and I to enjoy at my farm market the other day on impulse.  I wanted to do something delicious with them that wouldn't take a lot of effort and that we both would enjoy.

One cook I have admired for over 20 years is Nigel Slater. He is not someone I was really familiar with before I moved to the U.K. A food columnist for the Observer, his cooking was something I came to love. He cooked the way I loved to cook myself and how I loved to eat. 

This recipe I am sharing was adapted and inspired by one for slow baked sausages that I found in his book entitled, The Kitchen Diaries II.

Most of his recipes are very easily adapted for home use and use simple ingredients.  They are pretty basic recipes that you can easily manipulate and make your own. I adapted his recipe for the slow cooked sausages and Onion Gravy by omitting the brown ale called for and using apple juice in it's stead. I left out the brown sugar and added a shallot and a chopped eating apple for another layer of flavor that I knew would work really well with the sausages.

The end result was a deliciously homey and comforting bake that my daughter and I both enjoyed very much.  Slow roasting the sausages in that delicious apple and onion gravy gave them a wonderful melt-in-the-mouth quality that was really  wonderful!

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE

SLOW BAKED SAUSAGES WITH ONION GRAVY

Simple ingredients put together in the most delicious way! 

• 4 thick meaty thick sausages, preferably herby ones
• a little bit of oil
• 2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 small apple, peeled, cored and diced
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 slightly heaped TBS of plain all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups (400ml) hot vegetable stock
• a generous 3/4 cup (200 ml) apple juice
• salt and black pepper to taste

 

I used a good quality farm produced local meaty sausage that I bought at my local farm market.  They were quite large in size. You don't want to use breakfast sausage.

Each of my onions were the size of my fist. Use a sweet onion with a nice flavor. Mine were what is called Spanish onions.

I used a small shallot, but a banana shallot would also work well.

My apple was just a small sweet eating apple.  Peel this as the peeling would not be very palatable in the gravy. If you are using a tart type of apple, feel free to add 1 tsp of brown sugar.

I used Better than Bullion vegetable stock concentrate, reconstituted. You could also use chicken stock if that is all you have.

I used unsweetened apple juice. If you would rather you can use an equivalent amount of dark beer in it's place.

 

HOW TO MAKE

SLOW BAKED SAUSAGES WITH ONION GRAVY

The smell of these roasting is delicious enough to make your mouth start watering.  A very simple make. The oven does a great deal of the work and the end result just melts in the mouth.

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 3.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed oven proof casserole over medium high heat. Once hot add the sausages and brown them on all sides. Remove to a plate. (They need not be cooked all the way through as they will finish cooking in the oven. Just make sure they are well gilded on all sides.)
3. Add the butter to the drippings. Add the onions, apple and shallots to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until they begin to soften. Add the flour and cook and stir for several more minutes. (It is perfectly okay to let the onions, shallot and apples take on a bit of color.  This will add even more flavor to the gravy.)
4. Whisk in the vegetable stock and the apple juice. Cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. (Use a well flavored stock and an unsweetened apple juice.)
5. Return the sausages to the pan. Cover tightly.
6. Place the casserole in the oven. Slow roast for 45 to 50 minutes. The gravy should be lovely and thick and the sausages should almost melt in the mouth. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired with salt and black pepper. (I did not have to add any seasoning to mine.)
7. Serve the sausages and gravy hot with mashed potatoes and a vegetable on the side.

 

SUGGESTIONS FOR SERVING SLOW BAKED SAUSAGES

WITH ONION GRAVY

Bear in mind that these are suggestions only. You can serve these in whichever way you think you will enjoy them.

We enjoyed these sausages with fluffy piles of mashed potatoes that held as much butter in them as we could beat into them. Rich and delicious and perfect for cupping some of that rich and delicious gravy.

I heated up some canned green beans as I was unable to get out to get some really fresh vegetables, but any vegetable on the side would work well.  I was really wanting Braised Red Cabbage.  This would make an excellent side dish and could cook in the oven alongside the casserole of sausages.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes you can make this ahead of time.  Simply prepare all the way through. When done transfer the sausages and gravy to a refrigerator container with a tight lid and chill. When you are ready to eat them, reheat simply in a skillet over medium heat until bubbling and heated through.  I would not do this more than 24 hours in advance.

MUST I USE PORK SAUSAGES?

Feel free to use any kind of sausage that you enjoy. I would not use smoked sausage, but chicken, pork, lamb, turkey, etc. all would work well. I do recommend thick, meaty, well flavored sausages without a lot of fillers.

CAN THIS BE FROZEN?

Yes you can certainly freeze this dish or the leftovers.  Simply pack into an airtight freezer container, label, date and freeze.  To cook, thaw out in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat simply in a skillet over medium heat until bubbling and heated through. This will keep frozen for up to three months.

 

A FEW MORE SAUSAGE RECIPES

FOR YOU TO ENJOY

I don't eat sausage very often, but when I do I like to prepare them in the most delicious way possible. Here are a few more favorite recipes of mine!

ITALIAN SAUSAGE MEATBALLS - Made with just five ingredients—sweet Italian sausage, grated onion, seasoned breadcrumbs, egg, and a splash of cream—these come together in minutes and roast to juicy perfection in the oven. The sausage brings all the seasoning you need, while the cream adds a touch of richness that makes each bite melt in your mouth. Serve them with mashed potatoes and homemade gravy for a cozy twist on bangers and mash.

ROASTED SAUSAGE & POTATO SUPPER - Golden sausages, caramelized onions, and crispy-edged potatoes come together in this rustic one-pan wonder. Thick pork sausages roast alongside red peppers, onions, and quartered potatoes until everything is tender and deeply flavorful. A splash of white wine adds a subtle sweetness and helps the sausages turn sticky and golden, while dried thyme infuses the whole dish with warmth. Hearty and delicious.

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Slow Baked Sausages with Onion Gravy

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 50 MinTotal time: 1 H & 10 M

The original recipe called for beer. That is not something I normally have in the house. I used apple juice in it's place and ended up with some very tasty sausages and gravy! Perfect with a fluffy pile of buttery mashed potatoes and a vegetable on the side.

Ingredients

• 4 thick meaty thick sausages, preferably herby ones
• a little bit of oil
• 2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 small apple, peeled, cored and diced
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 slightly heaped TBS of plain all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups (400ml) hot vegetable stock
• a generous 3/4 cup (200 ml) apple juice
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 3.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed oven proof casserole over medium high heat. Once hot add the sausages and brown them on all sides. Remove to a plate.
3. Add the butter to the drippings. Add the onions, apple and shallots to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until they begin to soften. Add the flour and cook and stir for several more minutes.
4. Whisk in the vegetable stock and the apple juice. Cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens.
5. Return the sausages to the pan. Cover tightly.
6. Place the casserole in the oven. Slow roast for 45 to 50 minutes. The gravy should be lovely and thick and the sausages should almost melt in the mouth. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired with salt and black pepper.
7. Serve the sausages and gravy hot with mashed potatoes and a vegetable on the side.

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