My boys love sausages with chips and baked beans, so I decided to try and create a slightly different version for those days when we fancied a healthier alternative.
I've used a can of mixed beans in this dish, as I think the variety makes the stew much more interesting. The recipe includes lots of fresh rosemary and dried marjoram, as I like to be able to taste my herbs, but feel free to use less if you wish!
The tomato sauce is enhanced with diced onion, celery and garlic for both flavour and a change of texture. I've also enriched the sauce with sun-dried tomato paste, which adds a lovely level of richness.
If you wish, you can top the stew with cheese and breadcrumbs and bake in the oven, until it turns golden and crispy. However, it's just as good on it's own, with sausages (meat or veggie), salad and a slice or two of garlic bread.
Serves 4
For the stew
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large white onion
2 sticks of celery
2 garlic cloves
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Chilli flakes (optional)
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
400g tin of mixed beans in water
2 tablespoons of dried marjoram (or oregano)
2 tablespoons of sun-dried tomato purée
Pinch of sugar
½ tablespoon of red wine vinegar
Seasoning
For the topping (optional)
50g Panko (or fresh) breadcrumbs
100g mature Cheddar cheese
Olive oil
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.
- Peel the onion and garlic.
- Finely dice the onion and celery.
- Peel the garlic cloves.
- Remove the leaves from the rosemary stalks and finely chop.
- Drain the beans.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, over a low to medium heat.
- Add the onion, celery and rosemary to the pan and sauté until the onion is translucent.
- Crush the garlic and add it to the pan along with a sprinkle of chilli flakes (to taste). Stir for 2-3 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add the tomatoes, beans, marjoram, sugar and tomato purée. Season well and stir until the ingredients are well combined..
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the the heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Near the end of the cooking time, add the red wine vinegar.
- Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof dish.
- Mix together the breadcrumbs and cheese in a bowl and then scatter over the top of the beans.
- Drizzle with olive oil and then place in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown.
