Casseroled Sausages: A Home Cook Vintage Classic

Venison & Onion Casseroled Sausages

Old fashioned Casseroles have a way of anchoring a kitchen, not because they’re simple, but because they’re steady. Easy. Unfussy. And honest.

Cooking from scratch often gets framed as a lifestyle choice, but in times gone by when processed and packaged food wasn't as readily available as it is now, it’s simply what the post-war housewife did. You start with what you have: meat, a few vegetables, a handful of herbs, seasoning, maybe a splash of wine (or sherry in those days perhaps ...). A casserole doesn’t demand precision. It rewards thrift and patience, and the ability to create hearty flavors out of plain ingredients.

There’s also something grounding about the rhythm of making a casserole from scratch: Browning the meat properly. Softening the onions and maybe celery until they’re sweet. Adding the stock and watching the liquid turn cloudy before it settles into something rich, thick and promising. No packets of anything. These steps aren’t complicated, but they’re the difference between a pot of ingredients and a meal that tastes like it’s been cared for. And one in which you control additives, not the other way round.

Casseroles are very forgiving. They stretch to feed extra mouths just by adding a few more vegetables, extra mashed potato or bread on the side. They reheat beautifully. They make the house smell like someone cares. In a world that leans hard into shortcuts and convenience, a casserole is a comfort in a dish that asks for time instead.

Cooking from scratch isn’t about perfection or anything fancy, it's simply one of the easiest ways to put a tasty meal on the table. In this recipe I have chosen to use a little vermouth (white wine will also work) to deglaze the pan and add the juices to the sauce, but this is optional to add flavor, but not strictly necessary.

This vintage "Casseroled Sausages' recipe is by B Revington who submitted it to a Church cookbook fundraiser published by St George's Church, 28 October 1971, in Whakatane, New Zealand. It's a book of my grandmother's which I've cherished for years. My parents wed in the same church in 1966. Back in those days it would have been unthinkable that ready-mixed sauces and seasonings came out of packets and jars! As the cost of living has risen and risen, I have turned to it a lot for simple, honest, back-to-basics, no-fuss recipe ideas for family meals for a long time. I hope you enjoy it, too.

Watch my steps in this short Youtube tutorial:

Ingredients:

6 fresh sausages

1 onion, peeled and sliced

Olive oil to fry

Splash of white wine or vermouth to deglaze the pan (optional)

1.5 tbsp plain flour

1.5 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons Worcester sauce

3 tablespoons tomato sauce

1 large grated carrot

Method:

Heat a splash of oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Brown the onion and set aside. Add a little more oil and brown the sausages until well coloured.

Deglaze the pan with white wine or vermouth (optional)

Place the sausages in the casserole dish, add the onion and carrot, then pour the sauce over the top. Add just enough water to not quite cover the sausage mixture, then 'muddle' to stir everything together.

Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (fan) for 1 hour.

Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or crusty bread.