Vegan Sausage Casserole

Sausage casserole has long been a British classic family favourite and this vegan and vegetarian sausage casserole is even better with tasty sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, creamy butterbeans [lima beans], and meat-free sausages all cooked with a flavour packed smoky paprika and sweet tomato sauce. We like to prepare this casserole with Quorn vegan sausages or meat-free Richmond sausages but any meat-free sausage will work fine.

Serve this family favourite vegan sausage casserole with your favourite veggies, mashed potatoes or pasta, or simply with a wedge of crusty bread to soak up those lovely savoury and sweet tomato sauce juices. This is the best vegan dinner to serve to meat-eating guests to win them over especially if you use Richmond meat-free sausages as according to meat-eaters they taste just the same as the original!

Jump to:

• Origins of Sausage Casserole
• Meat-free Sausage Casserole
• Ingredients
• How to prepare
• Recipe notes
• Storing
• Reheating
• FAQ'S
• More vegan casserole and oven baked recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• Comments

Origins of Sausage Casserole

The term "Casserole" is derived from the French word "casse," which means "case" and the word casserole refers to the earthenware pot that was traditionally used to slow cook food into a French cassoulet.

The concept of a casserole - a slow-cooked meal consisting of perhaps meat, vegetables, beans, herbs or spices - is found in many cultures around the world and has been a part of home cooking for centuries. It's a method of cooking that lends itself well to using up leftovers or making the most of inexpensive ingredients.

Many claim that France is the origins of the modern day casserole with a traditional French cassoulet usually prepared with meat, particularly sausages, white beans and a tomato sauce. Although one-pot meals also date back to British medieval times where the medieval pottage [alternative spelling: potage] was a common peasant meal. Pottage literally means cooked in a pot and as such there was many different pottages depending on whatever ingredients was available.

Sausage casserole, specifically, could have originated in any number of cultures that traditionally prepare sausages. Sausages themselves have a history that dates back at least to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and they are a staple in many cuisines around the world, including German, Polish, Italian, British, and Spanish, to name just a few.

However, a traditional British sausage casserole usually contains - sausages, vegetables especially root vegetables, bell peppers and mushrooms, sometimes beans, and either a tomato or gravy-based sauce.

Casseroles are also a popular American meal and they gained considerable popularity in the United States during the mid-20th century, in part due to the rising availability of canned and frozen vegetables, canned soups, cheese, and processed meats. These ingredients made it easy for home cooks to assemble a complete meal in one dish, which could then be baked in the oven.

Meat-free Sausage Casserole

This recipe for meat-free sausage casserole is relatively quick and easy to prepare. As traditional casseroles tend to be cooked mostly in the oven the energy costs would be quite high if the oven was on for several hours, so I have reduced the amount of time required to cook the casserole by precooking the vegetables and the sauce on the stove-top. The result is a tasty home-cooked vegan casserole that can be ready to go in just an hour.

Ingredients

The ingredients you will need for our vegan sausage casserole recipe are: a pack of meat-free sausages such as Quorn vegan sausages, Richmond meat-free sausages, or Linda McCartney vegetarian sausages (which are actually vegan).

We use 8 meat-free sausages for the casserole, based on 2 sausages per portion, but you can adjust the quantity to preference.

You will also need a sweet potato, red bell pepper, celery, onion, garlic, a can of butterbeans, a can of chopped/diced tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, onion powder or granules, smoked paprika, dried mixed herbs, a small amount of sugar, and vegetable stock. Salt and pepper is used as a seasoning to taste.

If you prefer to omit the sausages, you can add an extra can of beans instead and prepare a tasty vegan bean casserole.

I like to scatter a few sliced spring (green) onions over the top and add a sprinkle of paprika or chilli flakes for additional flavour.

For those who like spicy meals, add a few drops of hot sauce, a sprinkle of dried chilli flakes, or a dash of chilli powder before baking the casserole.

Also, if meat-free sausages are not to your liking, they can be substituted with large juicy mushrooms or tomatoes. Slice larger mushrooms into chunks and add them directly to the casserole before baking, or pop the tomatoes into the casserole so they nicely wedge into the sauce.

How to prepare

This is a nice, easy veggie casserole to prepare and requires no fuss or time-consuming methods, techniques, or ingredients, making it especially ideal for beginner vegans or those new to plant-based diets.

The vegan sausage casserole consists of two easy steps and is an oil-free recipe. This meat-free meal is ideal for serving to guests who are not vegan, vegetarian, or plant-based, as the rich savoury and sweet flavours of this veggie casserole will soon win them over to the tastiness of meat-free cooking.

Step 1: Add the sweet potato, red bell pepper, celery, onion and garlic to a pan along with half a cup of vegetable stock.

Step 2: Pop a lid over the pan and cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat - check the liquid levels every so often and add an extra few tablespoons of stock or water whenever it looks like the pan might run dry.

Step 3: Next, stir through the butterbeans, canned diced tomatoes, tomato paste, smoky paprika, dried herbs, onion powder, soy sauce, sugar, red wine vinegar and a few pinches of salt and black pepper.

Step 4: Pour in half a cup of vegetable stock and gently boil for an extra 3 minutes.

Step 5: Decant the vegetable mixture into a casserole dish and pop the uncooked meat-free sausages on top of the casserole or stir them through. The vegan sausages can be either fresh or frozen - we used fresh meat-free Richmond sausages.

Step 6: Bake for 25-30 minutes - if your sausages require longer to bake then adjust the cooking times to suit.

Step 7: Slice the sausages into 2-3 pieces per sausage and mix these through the sauce.

Step 8: Scatter sliced spring onions/green onions over the top and a sprinkle of red chilli or paprika flakes if liked.

Recipe notes

Storing

Store leftovers within the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Or freeze for 2-3 months.

Reheating

Reheat leftovers by placing into an oven-proof dish and reheat in a hot oven for 25-30 minutes or until piping hot throughout. Alternatively reheat within a microwave for a few minutes.

FAQ'S

More vegan casserole and oven baked recipes

We have a few more tasty family favourite vegan casserole recipes and oven baked recipes to share. Such as this fun Vegan hamburger Casserole which contains everything that makes a vegetable burger delicious!

And this easy Mexican Rice and Bean Casserole which has a crispy cheesy nacho topping is great for movie night and game day meals.

For something a bit different this Chickpea Tuna and Potato Mornay fits the bill as does this Traditional Welsh Onion Cake.

***please note: for US measurements click the 'US customary button' within the recipe and the measurements will switch to tablespoons, cups, and ounces.***

📖 Recipe

Comments

Prepared our Vegan Sausage Casserole? We would love to know how you got on with the recipe so do drop us a comment and click the star ratings. All feedback is very much appreciated. Thanks so much! All the best, Jacq x