Bangers n mash is a classic cozy weeknight dinner. Juicy pork sausages with smooth cheesy mashed potatoes, topped with a rich gravy, and paired with buttery fried cabbage.
If you’re having one of those days where you want a simple yet delicious dinner, then this is the perfect solution! Minimal effort, few ingredients, and only a couple dishes… what’s not to love.
Key Ingredients
- Pork sausages: I choose to use these over beef for lamb, mainly because I prefer the flavour. They’re juicy and pair so well with the gravy and cheesy mashed potatoes.
- Cabbage: is nice to add a little bit of green to the dish. Sautéed in a light amount of butter the cabbage brings a slightly freshness to a relatively heavy dish.
- Potatoes: are the star of the mash. I use just standard white potatoes. A typical rule of thumb for mash is one potato per person, depending on how big they are.
- Cream: makes the mashed potatoes silky smooth. Some people choose milk, but I find just a touch of cream gives it the ultimate smooth texture, due to the cream being a bit thicker.
- Cheese: also for the mashed potatoes. I love, love, love a cheesy mashed potato. You’ll notice with my other recipes that involve cheese, I am a parmesan girly. With mash I tend to use a mix of parmesan, mozzarella, and/or edam. But really, you can use whatever you prefer or have on hand.
- Butter: is split between the cabbage and the mashed potatoes. I add a knob of butter to the cabbage because cabbage already has a tender texture. Butter enhances and compliments the cabbage’s texture making it so delicious. It also is a good all rounder for complimenting the entire bangers n mash dish.
- Instant gravy: for pure convenience. Many people hate on the use of instant gravy, but it is perfect for a meal like this. You could make your own gravy from scratch, but there is no shame in using an instant gravy packet.
How to make bangers n mash
I’ve done this in two parts, to include how I make my mashed potatoes.
Sausages, cabbage and gravy.
Fry the sausages.
Bring a pan to a medium heat with olive oil. Place the pork sausages in the pan. Fry the sausages until they have browned, this should be about 15 minutes. Then turn the heat up to high and cook the sausages until they have a nice crust, moving frequently to prevent them from burning. Remove the sausages and set aside.
Sauté the cabbage.
Chop the cabbage to your preferred thickness, then add it to the same pan the sausages were in. Add the butter to the cabbage. Melt the butter and let the cabbage sauté until it’s cooked, it should be soft but not mushy. Then remove the cabbage as well.
Make the gravy for the bangers n mash.
Pour hot water into the pan, bring this to a bubbling boil. Tip the gravy packet in. Mix until the gravy thickens – be sure to whisk thoroughly to prevent a lumpy gravy.
Cheesy mashed potatoes.
Prepare the potatoes.
I tend to chop the ends off my potatoes, as that’s where there might be eyes and you don’t want that. Then peel them, some people leave the skins on but this is a silky smooth mash. Chop the potato into small-medium cubes.
Boil the water.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Sprinkle a light pinch of salt.
Cook the potatoes for the bangers n mash.
Add the potatoes to the boiling water. Leave to cook for about 15 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Be careful they don’t become too mushy, otherwise your mash potatoes will be watery.
Make the mashed potatoes.
Drain all the water from the cooked potatoes. Pour in the cream, add the grated cheese. Place the knob of butter in too, leave for a moment as the butter will start to melt from the heat of the potatoes. Use a masher to combine all the ingredients. Add salt to taste.
Serve!
Layer the bangers n mash.
Place the mashed potatoes in the bowl first, I like to leave a crate for the gravy. Then add your sausages, chopped or whole. Place the cabbage in. Then smother the whole thing in gravy!
Storage
Whilst I think this is a meal best eaten fresh, it can last in the fridge. Let the bangers n mash components cool completely. If possible, add the sausages and mashed potatoes to separate airtight containers. Place in the fridge for up to 3 days. I will admit, cold sausages the next day are a classic leftover lunch…
More cozy recipes:
- Chicken, Leek, Mushroom Pie
- Zuppa Toscana
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Curried Sausages
- Pot Roast
- Red Wine Chicken
- Meatballs n Gravy
Alrighty, I think you’re ready to make this delicious and comforting bangers n mash! With a recipe as easy as this, what’s the wait? Let’s get to cooking this classic meal…
Bangers n Mash
Ingredients
- ¼ cabbage
- 2 potatoes
- 4 pork sausages
- ⅓ cup cream
- ½ cup cheese (grated)
- 100 grams butter (split in 50/50 between cabbage and potatoes)
- 1 packet instant gravy
- 1 cup water
Instructions
Method:
- Bring a pan to a medium heat with olive oil. Place the pork sausages in the pan.
- Fry the sausages until they have browned, this should be about 15 minutes. Then turn the heat up to high and cook the sausages until they have a nice crust, moving frequently to prevent them from burning.
- Remove the sausages and set aside.
- Chop the cabbage to your preferred thickness, then add it to the same pan the sausages were in.
- Add the butter to the cabbage. Melt the butter and let the cabbage sauté until it’s cooked. Then remove the cabbage as well.
- Pour hot water into the pan, and mix in the gravy packet. Be sure to whisk thoroughly to prevent a lumpy gravy.
Mashed potato:
- Peel the potatoes. Chop them into small cubes.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the potatoes.
- Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes then add the cream, cheese, butter, and salt to taste.
- Mash the potatoes until smooth in texture. Add more cream if needed.
