Name: Sausage & Lentil Casserole with Cavolo Nero
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 slices smoked back bacon (roughly chopped); 6-8 pork sausages; 1 onion (chopped); 2 carrots (chopped); 3 garlic cloves (chopped); 1 celery stick (chopped); 1 or 2 broccoli leftover broccoli stalks (if you have any (chopped)); 1 Tbsp cider vinegar; 300 g green lentils (well rinsed in cold water); 1 ltr hot chicken or vegetable stock (from cube is fine); 250 g passata; 1 tsp dried thyme; 200 g cavolo nero or standard kale; fresh parsley; oli (salt, pepper)

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With Bonfire Night around the corner and UK Sausage Week starting next week as well, I thought I would share with you one of my favourite sausage casseroles. This Sausage & Lentil Casserole with Cavolo Nero is a proper family favourite which is full to the brim with the good stuff.

I won’t lie, my kids do play “hook a duck” with cavolo nero which then ends up on the side of their plates. However, with the amount of other veg in this casserole and lentils, which they love, I still feel pretty smug when they polish their plates clean.

If you happen to follow my blog, you must know by now that I like using odds and sods from my fridge and cupboards to make our family meals. I love turning ingredients which would otherwise end up in the bin into something delicious. That’s how I started using up broccoli stalks and now they are my staple when it comes to soups, stews and casseroles as much as onions, carrots and celery are for most people. If you have never tried them, do give them a go. You won’t know they are there but they will bulk up your dish with goodness for sure.

You might want to consider making your own chicken stock to use here. It really couldn’t be easier and you can have a nice stash in your freezer to take out and use whenever you need. Check out my guide on How To Make Chicken Stock in Instant Pot (with instructions for hob/stovetop users too)!

Cavolo Nero is a wonderful, dark green, leafy cabbage-like veg from Tuscany. It can be easily substituted with kale or even shredded cabbage, whichever you prefer or can get your hands on. I usually take the leaves off the woody stalk which I then tend to add (finely chopped) just as I do my broccoli stalks to other stews, soups or casseroles. In fact you can use it in this stew as well and throw it in at the beginning with all the other veg. I used mine in different dish on this occasion.

Another little tip I got for you today would be to NEVER throw away the rind from your parmesan cheese. I keep a small bag full of them in the fridge, ready to use in my cooking (they keep really well for months but you can also freeze them). If you have one saved, throw it in this casserole when adding the stock for some extra flavour. This clever flavour enhancer can be added to any soup, stew casserole, and risotto. Don’t forget to fish it out before serving though. 🙂

Sausage & Lentil Casserole with Cavolo Nero

Parmesan Cheese rinds – perfect flavour enhancer for soups, stews and casseroles

If you like this recipe take a look at my One Pot Smoked Sausage Jambalaya or Easy Prawn & Chorizo Paella or Mini Pork Meatloaves with Courgette which are hugely popular in our house as well!

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