A delicious slow cooker sausage casserole recipe with meaty pork sausages, chunky sweet potatoes, and sliced red onion in a rich tomato sauce.
This simple crockpot sausage casserole is made without browning the sausages first, making it a quick 'dump and go' slow cooker recipe! You might also like my sausage hotpot recipe too!
When it comes to comfort food, there are few dishes as satisfying as a slow cooker sausage casserole. The enticing aroma filling your home, the slow-bubbling sauce, the tender sausages, it all comes together to create a hearty, delicious meal.
My family loves this easy recipe made with chipolata sausages, cubed sweet potatoes, and a really easy tomato sauce.
It's an incredibly versatile recipe too, so you can add mushrooms, white potatoes, peppers, carrots, or even baked beans! Whatever needs to be used up.
👩🍳 Love sausage casserole but don't have a slow cooker? Try my easy sausage casserole made on the hob!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Easy slow cooker recipe.
- No browning is needed.
- Hearty and comforting.
- Freezer-friendly.
- Easily customised.
Don't forget to check out all of my easy slow cooker recipes on the blog!
🛒 Ingredients
Sausages - my kids prefer chipolata sausages, but feel free to swap them for thick pork sausages or even veggie sausages! If you're using pork sausages, make sure they have a high pork content (97% or above), for the best flavour.
Red Onion - sliced, or substitute for white onion.
Sweet Potato - peeled and cut into 2cm cubes. Other veggies can be added too and I give some suggestions below!
Stock - I make a rich beef stock using a knorr stock pot, but an ordinary stock cube is fine too. If you're making a veggie sausage casserole, use vegetable stock.
Chopped Tomatoes - or swap for passata if you prefer your sauce less chunky.
Red Pesto - instantly adds loads of flavour! You can use sun-dried tomato paste as a substitute.
Dried Thyme - or use fresh herbs if you prefer. Rosemary and oregano also works very well in this slow cooker sausage stew.
You'll also need salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar for seasoning.
Thickening granules (or a cornflour slurry) can be used to thicken the sausage casserole at the end of cooking.
🥄 Equipment
Which slow cooker? I use a Morphy Richards Sear and Stew 6.5 litre slow cooker, which means I can brown and slow cook in the same pot as the slow cooker pot is safe to use on the hob! The 6.5 litre capacity serves 6-8 main portions, so it’s ideal for families and those that like batch cooking. There is also a 3.5 litre version for smaller households!
You'll also need a vegetable peeler and chopping board!
🔪 How to make sausage casserole in slow cooker
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Place the sliced red onion, cubed sweet potatoes and chipolata sausages in your slow cooker basin.
Two: In a bowl or jug, mix together chopped tomatoes, red pesto, beef stock, sugar, thyme, salt and pepper, and pour it over the sausages (there's no need to brown them first).
Three: Cook the sausage casserole on low for 7 hours or on high for 4 hours. You may want to stir through some thickening granules (or whisk in a cornflour slurry) at the end of cooking, to thicken the sauce.
💡 Pro Tip - Cook the sausage casserole with the lid removed for the last hour of cooking. This will help thicken up the sauce..
💭 Top tips
- There's no need to brown your sausages before cooking them in the slow cooker, but you can if you like (I don't like the extra washing up).
- If you don't have red pesto to hand, use sun-dried tomato paste with a teaspoon of garlic granules mixed in.
- Use fresh woody herbs to flavour the casserole if you have them in your garden. Thyme, rosemary and oregano work well.
💡 Pro Tip - If you're using a cornflour slurry to thicken the sauce, it's important to first mix the cornflour (1 tablespoon) with an equal amount of water (1 tablespoon) to prevent lumps from forming.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the crockpot sausage casserole with cheesy mashed potatoes, air fryer roast potatoes, Parmentier potatoes, or rice for a tasty and filling dinner!
A side portion of green vegetables is nice too. Roasted Tenderstem broccoli, air fryer asparagus, air fryer green beans, or pan-fried Brussels sprouts with bacon are a few of my favourites.
📖 Variations
There are so many ways to customise this easy sausage casserole!
- Add a tin of baked beans for slow cooker sausage and baked bean casserole.
- Add a sliced red pepper, chopped carrots, or baby mushrooms.
- Add a tin of cannellini beans for slow cooker sausage and bean casserole.
- Make a veggie sausage casserole in your slow cooker - I really like Linda McCartney veggie sausages.
- Use a Schwartz or Colemans sausage casserole seasoning mix for ease. Just mix it in with the chopped tomatoes before adding it to the slow cooker basin.
- Swap the pork sausages for turkey or chicken sausages.
- If you like a bit of heat, add some chilli flakes or hot sauce to the casserole at the end of cooking.
🥡 Storage
Store. The sausage casserole can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat. Reheat in the microwave until piping hot.
Freeze. Once cooled, place the casserole in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge, before reheating in the microwave.
❓ FAQs
Yes, you can!
You can (in a frying pan with olive oil), but you don't have to. It's mainly done for aesthetic reasons.
Yes! Just add an extra 1 hour to the cooking time.
For ease, I use thickening granules (usually found in the baking section of supermarkets), but you can also use a cornflour slurry (equal parts cornflour and water mixed together and whisked into the sauce). I find that if I remove the slow cooker lid for the last hour of cooking, the sauce naturally thickens up on its own.
This recipe has been developed specifically for a slow cooker. Use my simple sausage casserole recipe if you would like to make it on the hob.
Yes, you can double this recipe to make a larger batch. Just make sure that your slow cooker is large enough to accommodate the additional ingredients.
😋 More slow cooker recipes to try!
- Slow Cooker Pork Chops
- Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
- Slow Cooker Roast Beef
- Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne
- Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
- Slow Cooker Pork & Apple Casserole
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Recipe
Easy Slow Cooker Sausage Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 Red onions peeled and sliced
- 1 Sweet Potato peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
- 12 Chipolatas or 8 thick pork sausages
- 400 g Chopped Tomatoes or use passata
- 1 tablespoon Red Pesto
- 250 ml Beef Stock
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme or 1 tablespoon of fresh
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Black Pepper
- 1-2 tablespoon Thickening Granules or make a cornflour slurry
Instructions
- Place the sliced red onion, cubed sweet potato and chipolata sausages in your slow cooker.2 Red onions, 1 Sweet Potato, 12 Chipolatas
- In a bowl or jug, mix together chopped tomatoes, red pesto, beef stock, sugar, thyme, salt and pepper, and pour it over the sausages (there's no need to brown them first).400 g Chopped Tomatoes, 1 tablespoon Red Pesto, 250 ml Beef Stock, 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme, 1 teaspoon Sugar, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ Black Pepper
- Cook the casserole on low for 7 hours or high for 4. Cook the sausage casserole with the lid removed for the last hour of cooking. This will help thicken up the sauce. You may want to stir through some thickening granules (or whisk in a cornflour slurry) at the end of cooking, to thicken the sauce up further.1-2 tablespoon Thickening Granules
Notes
- There's no need to brown your sausages before cooking them in the slow cooker, but you can if you like (I don't like the extra washing up).
- If you don't have red pesto to hand, use sun-dried tomato paste with a teaspoon of garlic granules mixed in.
- Use fresh woody herbs to flavour the casserole if you have them in your garden. Thyme, rosemary, and oregano work well.
- Add a tin of baked beans for slow cooker sausage and baked bean casserole.
- Add a sliced red pepper or chopped mushrooms.
- Add a tin of cannellini beans for slow cooker sausage and bean casserole.
- Make a veggie sausage casserole in your slow cooker - I really like Linda McCartney veggie sausages.
- Use a schwartz or Colemans sausage casserole seasoning mix for ease. Just mix it in with the chopped tomatoes first.
- Swap the pork sausages for turkey or chicken sausages.
- If you like a bit of heat, add some chilli flakes or hot sauce to the casserole.
- Store. The sausage casserole can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Reheat in the microwave until piping hot.
- Freeze. Once cooled, place the casserole in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge, before reheating in the microwave.
Shadi Hasanzade
So comforting! This sausage casserole would be perfect for these cold evenings with some warm bread to soak up all that delicious gravy!
Toni
This was really a huge hit at my house!! I love how satisfying it is!!
Heather Perine
Love that there was no browning required..used the sundried tomato pesto and regular potatoes. Still so good!!
Anjali
This casserole was so satisfying and delicious!! My family loved it and I'm sure we'll be making it again soon!
Sonia
Just me so four healthy, easy meals. Thank you so much.
Will give the chilli a try next. Cheap to cook in the slow cooker, especially when you are only cooking for one.