Serves: 4
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than 75p per person.
What are the benefits? This winter vegetable mash serves at least two of your five a day, is high in fibre and high in antioxidants.
I know everyone is into cool hipster gastropubs and cute boutique cafes serving insta-perfect plates, and that’s all well and good – I like taking pretty pictures of food that no-one cares about as much as the next blogger. But, even so, there’s no excuse to look down your nose at a good ol’ plate of bangers and mash!
It’s comfort, it’s warmth, it’s familiarity. It’s food from childhood, from the local pub menu alongside ham, egg and chips and steak and kidney pie, from family dinners where the mash and gravy were as lumpy as each other but no-one really paid attention because Neighbours was on the telly.
Simpler times, right?
Using carrot, squash and sweet potato alongside the humble white potato still makes a smooth, creamy, delicious pile of mash but with more zing, more colour and, most importantly, more veggies! These classic winter vegetables are full of fibre, vitamin C and antioxidants, and most of them can be found either tinned, frozen or pre-prepared to make life just that much easier.
Using either pork or veggie sausages, these ingredients from my local supermarket served four people at just 68p per person.
INGREDIENTS
2 Carrots, Peeled & Chopped
1 Butternut Squash, Peeled & Chopped
1 Large Baking Potato, Peeled & Chopped
1 Sweet Potato, Peeled & Chopped
8 Pork Sausages (or veggie alternative)
1 Onion, Sliced
250ml Onion Gravy
SEASONING
For me, well-seasoned mash makes all the difference. As usual, be generous with salt and pepper, but also throw in some dried rosemary, dried thyme and a squeeze of mustard with the vegetables to make a completely mouth-watering mash.
So, this is how I did it…
1. Add the chopped winter vegetables to a large saucepan of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes until everything has gone soft enough to mash.
2. Meanwhile, cook the sausages according to packet instructions (mine are usually oven-cooked, but grilling or frying will do the job too if that’s what you prefer).
3. Heat a frying pan with cooking spray or a very light dash of oil and cook the sliced onion on a low heat for around 10 minutes, until softened.
4. Once the vegetables are soft, drain the water from the pan, season really well and mash. I’ll leave this part up to you – I usually make my mash with a tablespoon of spread and a few splashes of milk, but use whatever method you like.
5. Whip up the gravy by stirring the granules with hot water, according to packet instructions.
6. Serve up the rich vegetable mash and top with cooked sausages, onions and gravy.
Tips & Tricks
- There is absolutely nothing wrong with using frozen or tinned vegetables, and you can do so for any included in this recipe. It cuts down prep time and makes these ingredients more accessible and, sometimes, even cheaper.
- Plenty of other vegetables, such swede, celeriac, cauliflower and beetroot, could easily make a good mash for this recipe, so don’t be afraid to chop and change your favourites!
- Vegetarian sausages are usually a much lower fat option compared to pork sausages, but they aren’t the only option – chicken and turkey sausages might sound a little unusual, but they’re definitely a leaner meat alternative.
#ThisGirlEats 