Sausage, beans and caramelised onions in a rich gravy and topped with a cheesy mustard mash might just be the ultimate comfort food. The perfect warming winter meal that the whole family will love. Why just have sausage, mash and beans when you can have it all in a sausage and mash pie!
Personally, I think this dish just sums up hearty British cuisine. You've got sausages, creamy mashed potato, a thick rich gravy and baked beans. That just screams British comfort food. We threw it all together in a pie to make it the perfect dish to batch cook and throw in the oven.
Think of a cottage/shepherd's pie, but with sausages. Have we got your attention now? This is so easy to make, it's adaptable and kids LOVE it. It's perfect for a lazy Sunday dinner, when you don't feel like making a roast. It's also a really budget friendly dish.
Looking for some more comforting pie recipes? Why not try our Cumberland Pie, Healthy Fish Pie, Cheesy Vegetable Pie, Turkey Pie, or Chicken and Leek Pie.
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Why you will love it
- Easy - Once the sausages and mash are cooked, it's as simple as mixing and layering everything together in a big dish and putting it in the oven. Easy comfort food!
- Comforting - Sausage and mash is total comfort food and this pie just takes it to the next level. For me, the comfort is all in the caramelised onion gravy.
- Budget friendly - This is quite an inexpensive meal to make. Although we think good quality sausages are worth paying for, even with buying decent sausages this meal is fairly cheap to make. You can also bulk it out with more beans and vegetables.
- Freezes well - This sausage and mash pie freezes and reheats really well, making it perfect for batch cooking and storing in the freezer for a rainy day.
- Adaptable - There are so many ways you can adapt this sausage pie with different beans and vegetables and we have given you favourite variations below.
Ingredients needed
- Sausages - These are the star of the dish and quality is important. You can use any sausages you like, and it's a good way to change up the flavours, but try to buy the best quality you can as you really will be able to taste the difference. We used 97% pork sausages.
- Oil - This is what we cooked the sausages in and we used olive oil, but sunflower or vegetable oil would work too.
- Onion - The caramelised onions are what really make this thick gravy extra special. You could swap the onions for shallots if you prefer, and it would give a sweeter flavour.
- Mushrooms - These add a lovely texture and it's an easy way to bulk out the dish as they are quite meaty for a vegetable (or fungi). We used button mushrooms, but you could use oyster or shiitake to give some extra textures.
- Baked beans - This is also a great way to bulk of the sausage and mash pie and make it go further if you are on a budget. Baked beans give it a protein boost too, plus kids love them. You can swap baked beans for chickpeas, cannellini beans or butter beans.
- Thyme - Some fresh herbs add a lovely fragrant touch to this dish and we love thyme in comforting dishes. You could swap it for rosemary, sage or even use a dried herb mix.
- Flour - This is what helps to thicken up the stock and turn it in to a gravy.
- Stock - We used a beef stock pot and it's important to use a really good quality one as you will really taste the difference. If you are making this for younger children, then use a low salt stock.
- Marmite - This is what makes the gravy extra special. Even if you are not usually a fan of marmite, trust us on this one!
- Potatoes - These are for the mashed potato and floury or fluffy varieties such as Maris Piper or King Edward work best for mash.
- Butter and Milk - This will help to give light and fluffy mashed potatoes.
- Mustard - If you haven't tried mustard mash, it is a game changer. A little bit of Dijon mustard just adds so much flavour to mashed potatoes. You could use wholegrain mustard instead if you prefer.
- Cheese - A sprinkling of mature cheddar on the sausage and mash pie adds a lovely crispy topping.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step by step
One: Add the potatoes to a pan of boiling water and boil until soft, about 15 minutes.
Two: Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the sausages according to the packet instructions - usually 10-12 minutes. Once cooked, set aside.
Three: Add the onion and mushrooms to the pan. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, stock and Marmite. Simmer for a further 3 minutes.
Four: Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and add the butter, milk and mustard. Mash until you get your desired consistency.
Five: Chop the cooked sausages into bite-sized pieces and add to the pan of vegetables with the baked beans and thyme. Mix well.
Six: Transfer the sausage/vegetable mix to a large baking dish.
Seven: Spread the mashed potato over the top of the sausage mixture then sprinkle with grated cheddar. Cook in a preheated oven for 30 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Variations
Sausages - There are so many different sausages available now, that you could use different ones every time. Whilst quality is important, the type of flavour sausage you use really doesn't matter and is totally a preference thing. Change the flavour up by using a pork or apple, or add some spice with chilli sausages.
Mash - We think a creamy mustard mash goes perfectly on top of this sausage pie. However, you could swap it for a sweet potato mash or why not try our Vegetable Mash for a hidden vegetable boost? If you want a lower carb option, you could swap half the potatoes for cauliflower and mash it all together. Some people think it can't be a pie if it is topped with mash, and if you are one of those people then why not try topping it with filo pastry?
Vegetables - We love any dish that we can hide vegetables in and this one is really easy to do that with. We only used mushrooms this time, but you could finely dice some carrots for colour and crunch. They would have to be finely diced, so they cooked at the same rate as everything else.
Other vegetables that work well are bell peppers, courgette and you could even wilt some spinach into the gravy for an iron boost. Frozen peas and sweetcorn are also an easy way to add vegetables to this.
Sauce - The gravy is what makes up the "sauce" in this recipe. However, if you aren't a fan of a gravy base, you could swap the stock and flour for a can of tomatoes to give it a tomato sauce base. You could also use a BBQ sauce instead, which would add loads of smoky flavour. Why not try our Homemade Healthier BBQ Sauce?
What to serve with sausage and mash pie
This sausage and mash pie has pretty much got everything in it. It's got protein, it's got vegetables and it's loaded with carbs on top. However, we always try to serve plenty of extra vegetables on the side to make it a more nutritious balanced meal.
If it is greens you are looking for, then try some Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli, Garlic Green Beans, Air Fryer Broccoli or Slow Cooker Brussel Sprouts.
If it's something a little different you want as a side, then try our Roasted Butternut Squash, Air Fryer Carrots, Broccoli Cheese, Slow Cooker Red Cabbage or Easy Cauliflower Cheese.
While this pie has its own gravy inside it, why not add more by topping it with our amazing Onion Gravy?
Storage
Store: Once it is fully cooled, you can store it in air tight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freeze: This freezes really well making it a great batch cook meal. We portion it out into freezer containers and it will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Defrost: Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Make sure it has fully defrosted and then you can either heat it through in the microwave for a couple of minutes or put it in the oven for 15 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is quite a hearty and comforting dish and with the sausages, it is high in fat so portion control is key here. You could swap the sausages for chicken sausages to keep it lighter or use more beans and vegetables and less sausages. You can also give this dish a vitamin boost by adding some of the different vegetables we have added in the variations section.
Yes, you can definitely make this in advance. You can either prepare just the mashed potato in advance and then make the sausage mixture from fresh and top it with the pre-prepared mash or you can make both in advance and then just put them together before it is ready to go in the oven.
You will have to make sure that the sausages, flour and stock you are using are gluten free for this to be a gluten free recipe, and for there to be no cross contamination.
Yes, you can easily make a vegetarian (or even vegan) version of this my using meat free sausages. If you want it to be vegan, make sure you adapt the mashed potato too.
Yes, you can double the recipe with no adjustments to the cooking time - just make sure you have a big enough dish to fit it all in.
Extra tips
• If you are using sausages with a high fat content, you might not need to add any oil to the pan to cook them in.
• Make sure the baking dish you are using it big enough, so everything doesn't spill out when it is cooking in the oven.
• For something a little different for this pie topping, why not try adding filo pastry on top for a crispy topping?
• For a lower carb alternative to the mash, halve the potatoes and add cauliflower and mash it all together.
• Add some extra flavour by using a can of flavoured beans like BBQ beans or Mexican beans.
• For a richer flavour, add a splash of red wine at the same time as the stock.
• Cool the meat mixture a little before adding the potatoes. This allows it to thicken up, and also makes it easier to spread the potatoes on top. The creamier the potatoes, the easier they are to spread.
More sausage recipes
If you’ve tried this sausage and mash recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Sausage and Mash Pie
Ingredients
- 800 g (1.75 lb) Sausages - (about 70g/2.5oz each)
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Onion - finely sliced
- 10 Mushrooms - sliced
- 415 g (1.66 cups) Baked beans - canned
- 4 sprig Fresh thyme - leaves only
- 2 tablespoon Plain flour
- 550 ml (2.33 cups) Beef stock
- 1 teaspoon Marmite
- 800 g (1.75 lb) Potato - peeled and chopped
- 20 g (1.5 tablespoon) Butter
- 4 tablespoon Whole milk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 50 g (0.5 cups) Mature cheddar
Instructions
- Add 800 g Potato to a pan of boiling water and boil until soft, about 15 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil in a large pan and cook 800 g Sausages according to the packet instructions - usually 10-12 minutes. Once cooked, set aside.
- Add 1 Onion and 10 Mushrooms to the pan. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoon Plain flour, 550 ml Beef stock and 1 teaspoon Marmite. Simmer for a further 3 minutes.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and add 20 g Butter, 4 tablespoon Whole milk and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. Mash until you get your desired consistency.
- Chop the cooked sausages into bite-sized pieces and add to the pan of vegetables with 415 g Baked beans and 4 sprig Fresh thyme. Mix well.
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Transfer the sausage/vegetable mix to a large baking dish.
- Spread the mashed potato over the top of the sausage mixture then sprinkle with 50 g Mature cheddar. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Recipe Tips
- If you are using sausages with a high fat content, you might not need to add any oil to the pan to cook them in.
- Make sure the baking dish you are using it big enough, so everything doesn't spill out when it is cooking in the oven.
- For something a little different for this pie topping, why not try adding filo pastry on top for a crispy topping.
- For a lower carb alternative to the mash, half the potatoes and add cauliflower and mash it all together.
- Add some extra flavour by using a can of flavoured beans like BBQ beans or Mexican beans.
- For a richer flavour, add a splash of red wine at the same time as the stock.
- Cool the meat mixture a little before adding the potatoes. This allows it to thicken up, and also makes it easier to spread the potatoes on top. The creamier the potatoes, the easier they are to spread.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Anita Brock says
Husband loved it and he is a fussy eater even had seconds. Will be cooking again
Dannii Martin says
Thanks for the review. So glad he enjoyed it.
Steve Hartmann says
I’m new to cooking and what I couldn’t find was what temperature should the pre-warmed oven be? I think I had the oven too high but apart from that, delicious especially the onion gravy.
Maria says
I love potatoes! I should cook something once in a while and this is the recipe I choose.
Beth says
This is perfect for our dinner tonight! My family is definitely going to love this. Can't wait to give this a try!
Stacy says
I love shepherds pie, but this recipe takes it to the next level. This is just delicious and is now my new favourite comfort food.
Natalie says
That is one delicious pie. Yum! I think I'm going to make it this weekend. Thanks!
Cathleen says
Okay, I know what my plans are this weekend! Bookmarked for later, thanks so much for the recipe :)
Shannon says
My husband is a huge fan of bangers and mash, and he said this was even better!
Liz says
I'm sending this recipe to my mom because I know my dad is going to love it! This will be perfect for our next family dinner!
Wajeeha Nadeem says
This turned out great and the whole family loved it! Next time I'll make a double batch, and freeze one for later!
Gina says
This is the most amazing comfort food recipe, buying more sausage just to make this again!
Michele says
Sausage pie is the best comfort food. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Katherine says
SO much deliciousness in this sausage pie!
Shashi says
I haven't had sausage in a while and this has my mouth watering. Simply love budget friendly easy dishes like this!