Sausage & red pepper hot pot

This one-pot stew is a complete main course, with a green vegetable if you like, and will keep all the family happy

Sausages are one of the most comforting meals – choose your favourites for this recipe. This one-pot stew is a complete main course, with a green vegetable if you like, and will keep all the family happy.

Serves 4

Prepare ahead Can be made up to 8 hours ahead. Bring to the boil to reheat.

Freeze Freezes well.

1 tbsp sunflower oil

8 spicy pork sausages

4 rashers of smoked bacon, finely chopped

1 onion, sliced

1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into large pieces

1 large carrot, diced into small pieces

1 garlic clove, crushed

300ml (10fl oz) of chicken stock

400g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste

2 fresh thyme sprigs

250g (9oz) baby new potatoes, skin on, thickly sliced into discs

salt and freshly ground

black pepper

You will need a large, deep frying pan or sauté pan with a lid or a flameproof casserole dish. Heat the oil in the pan over a high heat. Add the sausages and fry them until browned on all sides, then set them aside. Add the bacon and fry for a few minutes until crisp, then set aside.

Add the onion, pepper, carrot and garlic to the pan and fry for 5 minutes over a high heat. Pour in the stock, tomatoes and tomato paste, then add the thyme sprigs. Bring to the boil, add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.