Prep and cooking time: 1hr 10mins
Complex carb portions, per serving: 1.5
Freezable
Ingredients
Serves: 4
650g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 (450g) butcher quality pork Cumberland sausages or vegetarian sausages
1 Braeburn apple, finely diced
1 small leek, halved lengthways and finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced or minced
½ tsp Marmite or gluten-free yeast extract
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
150ml beef or vegetable stock
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
3-4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp milk
80g mature cheddar, grated
200g cavolo nero
300g asparagus spears
350g frozen green peas, defrosted
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
Bring a medium-sized saucepan of water to a boil and add the diced potatoes. Cook for 15-20mins, or until tender.
Heat the oil in a medium-sized frying pan, over high heat. Add the sausages and cook for 5mins, or until golden brown all over.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced apple and cook for 3-5mins or until just starting to caramelise.
Add the leeks, and garlic and stir for 30-60secs, until coated in the pan.
Add the Marmite, Worcestershire sauce, stock, thyme, and some black pepper. There’s no need to add salt because of the Marmite. Cook with a lid on for 15mins.
While the sausages are continuing to cook, drain the potatoes, add them back into the saucepan. Add the 2tbsp of butter, milk, 35g of cheese, and season generously with salt and pepper. Blend or mash to a slightly chunky consistency.
After 15mins, turn off the heat. Cut the sausages in the frying pan if you want a quick option, otherwise take them out of the pan, slice them on a chopping board, and add back to the frying pan to mix into the apple mixture.
Add the sausage mixture to a 1.1L (16cm / 25cm) baking dish. Cover with the mashed potato and then sprinkle with the remaining 45g of cheese. Bake at 200°C for 25mins, or until golden.
Prepare the vegetables while the pie is baking. Heat 1-2 tbsp of butter in the same frying pan used for the sausages, over medium heat. Add the cavolo nero, asparagus and peas, and cook for 5-8mins, or until your desired texture is reached.
Second Nature special tip
This recipe can easily be made vegetarian by using vegetarian sausages in place of Cumberland sausages.