2 hrs
Not Too Tricky
serves 8
About the recipe
When the evenings start to get darker and the weather gets colder, you can’t beat a good old chilli. This one is a proper family favourite – it’s super simple to make and the kids love it. You can easily double this recipe, so it’s perfect for big get-togethers like Bonfire Night.
Ingredients
400g higher-welfare pork or veggie sausages
olive oil
½ a stick of cinnamon
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 heaped teaspoons Cajun seasoning
2 heaped teaspoons smoked paprika
500g frozen chopped mixed onion, carrot and celery
1 small butternut squash
3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 x 400g tins of beans such as kidney, black, pinto, cannellini, borlotti or butter beans
2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil (optional)
a few sprigs of fresh coriander
Top Tip
EASY SWAPS
– Any kind of squash or dense pumpkin would work here.
– Swap the beans for tinned chickpeas, if you like.
MAKE IT VEGAN
Swap the sausages for a mixture of fresh and dried mushrooms (around 400g in total) – they add incredible depth of flavour.
LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS
Double or triple this recipe if you’ve got the ingredients, portion it up, and freeze for future meals. Just remember – if you’re batch cooking, let food cool thoroughly before freezing – break it down into portions so it cools quicker, and get it into the freezer within 2 hours. And make sure everything is well wrapped, and labelled for future reference so you’re not playing freezer roulette! Simply thaw in the fridge before use, and use within 48 hours. If you’ve frozen cooked food, don’t freeze it again after reheating it.
Method
- Squeeze the sausagemeat out of the skin into little balls (if using veggie sausages, roughly slice) and place in a large deep casserole pan over a medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the cinnamon stick and a big pinch of black pepper. Fry for 5 minutes, or until browned, stirring regularly, then strip in the rosemary leaves and stir in the Cajun seasoning and smoked paprika for 1 minute.
- Go in with the frozen mixed veg and a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, or until softened and lightly golden, stirring occasionally.
- Peel, deseed and chop the butternut squash into 1.5cm chunks, then peel and finely chop the garlic. Add everything to the pan along with the balsamic vinegar, stirring for 1 minute, then add the beans (juices and all).
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Tip in the tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of your spoon, then half-fill each tin with water, swirl around and pour into the pan.
- Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and bake in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the squash is tender and the sauce is slightly thickened, removing the lid for the final 30 minutes and adding splashes of water, if needed.
- Once the time’s up, gently mash around a third of the chilli, until some of the beans are squashed into the sauce, then give everything a good stir. Taste and season to perfection, tweaking with a little balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, if you like. Pick over the coriander leaves and serve with fluffy rice, dollops of yoghurt and a fresh green salad.
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