Foodie Fridays: Bangers & Mash Casserole

Greetings Humble Readers...

Happy Friday!  I hope you are all well and planning a fun weekend.  Our weekend is shaping up to be a doozy, but as of Monday, I am declaring myself done with everything.  Because whatever is left on the list just isn't going to get done before the Halfling makes his/here appearance. 

Buuutttt... before all that, I've got to tell you about the recipe that I came up with for an online recipe contest.  I'm entering it into the contest tonight, so I think it's safe to share it all with you.  :)

The contest is sponsored by a particular brand of cream cheese products that's named for a large US city.  *wink-wink-nudge-nudge*  And the focus is to come up with a dish inspired by your dream destination.  Of course, I immediately thought of London... and so I spent far too long pondering what sort of dish most represented the British Isles in which I could use the aforementioned cream cheese product. 

And so, I came up with this.  I confess, it's not a diet-friendly recipe.  But it turned out really yummy, and I already have some ideas for how I will improve on it next time.  And it's a stick to your ribs kind of recipe... great for a cold wet day.  Think of it as a riff on shepherd's pie. 

Bangers & Mash Casserole

1 lg yellow onion, sliced
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 pkg English style sausage (5-6 links)
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp flour
2 cups beef stock (it's best if you warm it up a little in the microwave)
1 container Garlic & Herb Cooking Cream Sauce, divided (from that company named for a US city)
1.5 cups frozen peas
Salt & Pepper to taste
Paprika

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over med-high heat.  Add sliced onions.  After three or four minutes, reduce heat to med-low, and allow onions to caramelize.  Stir often.  (This will take more than 30 minutes.  Be patient, it's worth it!)

While the onions are caramelizing, place sausage links on a foil lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until browned and cooked through.  Remove from oven and allow to rest.

Boil potatoes in salted water, until fork tender.  Drain and mash potatoes.  Add in all but three tablespoons of the Garlic & Herb Cooking Cream and the frozen peas.  Stir well to combine.  Set aside. 

When onions are dark golden and sweet, add garlic, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce.  Allow to saute.  Sprinkle flour over onions, stir in, and allow to cook through for a minute.   Stir in beef stock, and allow to thicken.  Add reserved Garlic & Herb Cooking Cream.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

Slice sausages into bite size pieces, and add to onion gravy.  Pour onions, sausage, and gravy into casserole dish.  Top with mashed potatoes, spreading in an even layer.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Bake for 20 minutes, until potatoes are lightly browned and gravy is bubbly.

Serve with a garden salad.

Optional: Add a cup of sliced button mushrooms to the onions and allow them to saute as the onions caramelize. 

If you try this out, please let me know what you think!