Veggie sausage and bean casserole

If you want a hearty, meat-free meal, you can't go wrong with this veggie sausage and bean casserole that's suitable for both vegetarians and vegans!

It really couldn't be easier to make.

You just fry onions, garlic, oregano and a pinch of pepper in a casserole dish for 5 minutes, then add sliced veggie sausages and fry for a further 5 minutes.

Add tinned tomatoes, tinned baked beans and frozen vegetables, stir and that's literally all the prep done! You just pop the lid on the casserole dish, pop it in the oven and 45 minutes later you'll have a rich and delicious casserole that’s suitable for the whole family.

I used soya-based vegetarian sausages to make this incredibly convenient, tasty and nutritious meal, but you can use any type you like.

Here’s how to make this wonderful vegetarian sausage and bean casserole.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan).

Warm the oil in a casserole dish over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, oregano and a pinch of pepper.

Fry for 5 minutes until softened.

Add the sliced sausages.

Fry for a further 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and beans.

Add the vegetables.

Stir.

Put the lid on the casserole dish.

Place in the oven for 45 minutes until rich and delicious.

Scatter with fresh parsley and serve.

Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for the perfect veggie sausage and bean casserole

Is veggie sausage and bean casserole easy to make?

Yes, this veggie sausage and bean casserole is about as easy to make as it gets!

This casserole only needs about 10 minutes on the hob to soften the onions and fry the sausages before adding the beans, tomato, herbs, and veggies then giving everything a good stir.

All the lovely flavours then develop in the oven over 45 minutes as the sauce simmers and becomes rich and delicious. It's such a simple set and forget recipe that creates a hearty and comforting casserole with very little effort.

Will I need any special equipment for this recipe?

The main bit of kit you need for this recipe is a casserole or oven dish with a well-fitting lid. A dish that can be used on both the hob/stove and in the oven is ideal as this will make your life a little easier - and mean less washing up.

If you don't have a stove-safe casserole dish, you can just prepare the onions and sausage in a frying pan and then transfer them into your oven dish with the other ingredients.

All the other equipment you will need should be easily found in the average kitchen such as a chopping board and knife, weighing scales, and a wooden spoon. There's a full list of equipment in the recipe card below.

Where can I buy vegetarian sausages?

I used soya-based veggie sausages for this recipe but Quorn, seitan, mushroom or tofu-based sausages would work well too as long as they're not prone to falling apart.

There is so much choice available now for veggie sausages! You can find so many different options in most supermarkets, with loads of exciting flavour combinations, so pick the one you think will work well in your casserole.

Veggie sausages can usually either be found in the chilled aisle or in the freezer section. For this recipe I recommend getting your veggie sausages from the chilled aisle rather than frozen ones as you will be chopping them up for the casserole.

Is veggie sausage and bean casserole suitable for vegetarians or vegans?

Yes, this recipe is vegetarian and vegan friendly as it contains no meat, poultry fish or animal derived products like milk or cheese.

If you are making this for someone who is vegan make sure to use vegan sausages and check the ingredients closely as some veggie sausages contain egg or milk.

Is veggie sausage and bean casserole gluten-free?

Depending on which veggie sausages you use, this recipe can be made gluten-free.

Make sure to check all the labels if you are making this for someone who needs to avoid gluten in their diet. Some veggie sausages contain wheat, or are made of seitan which is basically pure gluten, so do be careful when selecting your sausages.

Is veggie sausage and bean casserole keto-friendly?

This veggie sausage casserole is too high in carbohydrates to be suitable for a ketonic diet.

Is veggie sausage and bean casserole healthy?

This hearty veggie sausage and bean casserole is a great source of protein, especially for someone who is vegan or vegetarian. With the added frozen veggies lending a range of vitamins and minerals, I'd say this is a healthy dinner.

If you wanted to make this even more healthy, you could use no added sugar beans.

Is this recipe safe to eat while pregnant?

There is nothing is the veggie casserole that should pose a risk to a pregnant woman if the ingredients are in good condition and the meal is prepared in a hygienic and safe way.

This website doesn't provide medical advice. If you have any concerns speak to your health professional. The NHS also has a great resource on foods to avoid whilst pregnant.

What goes well with this veggie sausage and bean casserole?

We love having bowls of this veggie sausage and bean casserole with extra vegetables and fresh crusty bread. The bread ideal for mopping up that yummy sauce.

If you have time ,why not give this vegan soda bread recipe a try? It only takes 50 minutes including prep and baking as it's yeast-free, so there's no need rising time. You could make it just before you start the casserole and have freshly baked bread with it. Perfect!

Can I make this recipe without baked beans?

If you haven't got any baked beans, or are making this for someone who doesn't like baked beans you could use any other tinned beans instead. Kidney beans and butter beans work well and chickpeas would be great too. Make sure to rinse your alternative beans before adding them in.

Remember baked beans in this recipe also bring quite a bit of flavour and moisture via the sauce, so you'll probably want to add an extra 1/2-1 tin of chopped tomatoes if you are using plain beans.

I haven’t got veggie sausages. Can I use veggie mince?

This recipe is quite flexible. I haven't tried it with mince but I'm sure it would be tasty. It will just make something a little less like a casserole and a little more like a bolognese. You might want to add some mushrooms or carrot chunks for a bit of extra texture.

Can I add extra veggies to this recipe?

If you don't have frozen veg or want to use different vegetables that's not a problem at all. This recipe is a great way to use up any vegetables you have.

Green beans, courgette, peppers, or some chopped spinach would all work well. Don't add too much extra veg, though, as there won't be enough sauce to cover everything and your casserole could end up a bit dry.

This recipe freezes well though so don't worry if you make too much as you can just put a portion in the freezer for another day.

Can I leave veggie sausage and bean casserole out on the counter?

No, once cooled, your veggie sausage and bean casserole needs to be kept in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer rather than left out on the counter.

Can I make veggie sausage and bean casserole ahead?

Yes, this recipe keeps and reheats well. It's also a great one for batch cooking if you want to make a bit extra to freeze for another day.

If you're making this ahead, bear in mind it will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. See more info on this below.

How should I store this veggie sausage and bean casserole?

If you have leftovers of your veggie sausage and bean casserole it should be stored in the fridge or freezer. Make sure to cool it completely and then put your leftovers into a suitable sealed container and into the fridge or freezer within 2 hours of cooking.

Can I freeze veggie sausage and bean casserole?

Yes, you can freeze this veggie sausage and bean casserole.

Double-check your veggie sausages in case they are not suitable for home freezing. Most are and all the other ingredients freeze well.

Divide the casserole into freezer-safe containers. I find it easier to freeze in individual portions as I can then just get out and defrost what I need. Make sure to label your containers with what's inside and the date. This veggie sausage and bean casserole will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

You can defrost your casserole overnight in the fridge or using your microwave's defrost setting. Make sure to reheat thoroughly before eating. Once frozen your veggie sausage and bean casserole can't be frozen again.

How long does it keep?

If stored correctly, this veggie sausage and bean casserole will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.

What is the best way to reheat veggie sausage and bean casserole?

You can either reheat this veggie sausage and bean casserole on the hob or in the microwave.

On the hob, simply put your casserole into a suitably sized saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the food is piping hot. You might need to add a splash of water to the pan if it looks dry or starts to stick.

To reheat in the microwave method, put your casserole into a microwave safe dish and loosely cover. Microwave on full for 2 minutes, stir and heat for a further 2 minutes. Stir and heat in further 1 minute bursts until piping hot all the way through.

Can I make this veggie sausage and bean casserole in a different quantity?

It's really simple to adjust the quantities for this recipe if you want to make more or less.

If you scroll down to the bottom of this page you'll find the recipe card with the number of servings on it. Click or hover over the servings and a slider will pop up that you can adjust to get the number of servings you want to make. This automatically updates all the amounts for the ingredients so you’re ready to go.

Keep in mind the size of your casserole dish. If you use a very large dish to cook a small amount, it may boil dry and stick to the pan or even burn. Conversely, too much in a small casserole dish is likely to boil over and make a mess in the oven - not a fun cleaning task!

Can I make this veggie sausage and bean casserole in individual portions?

Casseroles are usually easier to make in a large dish and then transfer into individual bowls to serve, but if you have enough mini casserole dishes with lids you could bake them individually, if you wish.

Start the casserole off in a large saucepan on the hob and when it's ready to go into the oven, transfer into small casserole dishes to create individual portions. Put your mini casserole dishes onto an oven tray so that they are easier to get in and out of the oven.

Can I make veggie sausage and bean casserole in a different pan?

If you have a casserole dish that can't go on the hob, start the casserole off in a regular saucepan and then transfer into your oven-only dish before putting it into the oven.

Alternatively, you could also try cooking this entirely on the hob by simmering with the lid on instead of cooking in the oven.

I haven't tested the stove-only method for this particular recipe. You will need to keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn't overcook or burn, since the heat will be coming just from underneath the pan, rather than from all around with the oven method.

The cooking time will probably be less, so stir every 5-10 minutes and serve when it is has cooked through and reached the consistency you like.

Can I make this veggie sausage and bean casserole in the slow cooker?

I haven't tried this recipe in a slow cooker yet but I think it would work well to create a lovely rich casserole.

I recommend you still fry the onion and garlic for 5 minutes on the hob and the sausage pieces for a further 5 minutes as this helps add flavour. You can then put everything into your slow cooker. Add an additional 200ml water or vegetable stock, and give everything a good stir.

I'd estimate you'd need about 6 hours on low, but you'd need to test this.

How can I make sure this recipe is perfectly cooked?

You'll know the casserole is done when the sauce has thickened and is dark red and rich.

Take the time at the start to soften the onions and fry off the sausages as this really helps add depth and flavour to your casserole. Then it's just a case of mixing all the other ingredients in and letting the oven work its magic.

This recipe is quite forgiving, so as long as your casserole dish has a well-fitting lid, you should get great results every time.

Why did my veggie sausage and bean casserole turn out dry and burned?

If the lid for your casserole dish doesn't fit very well, too much moisture could be lost when your casserole is cooking in the oven, which in turn could make your casserole dry out and eventually burn.

If the lid doesn't fit very well you can put tin foil over the casserole dish and then use the lid to secure it down. This should give you a better seal on the pot and stop too much moisture evaporating.

If the oven is too hot, this can also cause your casserole to overcook or burn so check the temperature carefully and remember to set a timer so your casserole isn't forgotten about.

Why did my veggie sausage and bean casserole turn out really wet and undercooked?

If your casserole is undercooked, it may be that your oven was not hot enough or your casserole was taken out too soon. If you check your casserole after 45 minutes and it still looks really wet you can give it a good stir and put it back in the oven with the lid off for 10 minutes to thicken up.

Some brands of beans have more sauce than others so this might have made your casserole wetter.

If you need to get on with serving up, you could also use a bit of flour or cornflour to thicken the sauce. Take a tablespoon or two of sauce and place it in a small bowl or mug. Mix in a teaspoon of either cornflour or plain flour until smooth and then stir this into your casserole. Return the casserole to the oven, or simmer on the hob for about 5 minutes and this should thicken the sauce.

Why did my dish taste bland?

This is a flavourful, tasty casserole but it is vegetarian, so don't expect deeply meaty flavours.

As with a lot of casseroles, this recipe uses simple and hearty ingredients cooked slowly to allow the flavours to develop.

What is the origin of this recipe?

The word casserole comes from the French cassoulet and is also the name of the pan in which it is cooked. Typically, casseroles are cooked in the oven while stews are cooked on the hob.

These one-pot wonders are so easy to make and comforting to eat, it's no surprise that casseroles of sorts have been cooked in many different versions all over the world for centuries. This is a veggie take on a classic sausage casserole.

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