Bangers And Mash, also known as sausages and mash, is a traditional dish of Great Britain and Ireland, consisting of sausages served with mashed potatoes. It consists of one of a variety of flavored sausages made of pork, specifically Cumberland sausage. The other important part of the dish is the onion gravy. The onion gravy ties everything together and adds another layer of flavor to this dish.

In this post, I’m also highlighting my recipe for Toad In A Hole. My version is slightly different from most because I use all the same ingredients used in making my Bangers and Mash, with the addition of my Auntie Joyce’s recipe for Yorkshire Pudding.

The origin of the name Toad In A Hole is unclear, but it may refer to the way toads wait for their prey in their burrows, making their heads visible in the earth, just like the sausages peppered through under the Yorkshire Pudding.

This dish brought back a lot of memories of my childhood, living in Southeast London.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yields: 4 servings of Bangers and Mash, 1 serving of Toad in a Hole
Equipment: 1 (12-inch) cast-iron skillet, 1 (4-quart) saucepot with lid, 1 (3-quart) saucepot, potato masher, chef’s knife, paring knife, wooden “spoonula”, cutting board

Ingredients For Bangers:
2 (10-ounce) packages (10 links) of high-quality English pork sausages
1 quart of chicken broth, unsalted

Ingredients For Mashed Potatoes:
10 medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes (approx. 2 pounds), peeled
1 cup of whole milk, *scalded (hot)
4 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick (8 tablespoons) of butter, unsalted, room temperature
3 garlic cloves, freshly grated
1 1/2 tablespoons of Kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Ingredients For Onion Gravy:
4 tablespoons of butter, unsalted
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced into half-moons
1 tablespoon of Kosher salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1 quart of beef broth, unsalted
2 to 4 drops of Kitchen Bouquet browning seasoning

Instructions for the Bangers:
Using a fork, start by pricking three sets of holes on both sides of the sausage links- place in the bottom of the pot. Cover with chicken broth. Over medium heat, bring up to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes. Using a pair of tongs, transfer the sausage links. Hold the sausage over the pot, allowing for any excess liquid to drain from each link before transferring them to a plate. This process enables the sausage links to be thoroughly cooked on the inside, and the chicken broth adds extra flavor.

I like to add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a crumbled-up paper towel. Wipe the cast-iron skillet thoroughly on the bottom and sides well with the oiled paper towel.

Next, preheat the cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer all the links to the skillet. Do not touch or move the sausage links around. As the links begin to brown and sear on one side, they’ll release from the skillet with no resistance, around 3 to 5 minutes. Cook on the other side for another 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the bangers to a plate, cover tightly with foil, and set aside.

Instructions For Mashed Potatoes:
In the meantime, while the sausages are poaching in the chicken broth. Place the potatoes in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with water. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of Kosher salt, bring to a boil, lower the heat to a steady simmer, and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a paring knife. Do not overboil them.

Using a colander, thoroughly drain the potatoes and return them to the pot, set over very low heat to maintain warmth. Using a hand masher, mash the potatoes while they are still hot. Mash the potatoes until they are the desired degree of smoothness. Be careful not to over-mash, or the potatoes will become gluey.

Next, using a wooden spoon, stir in the butter, cream cheese, Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and Italian flat-leaf parsley. Once the butter and cream cheese are melted and combined into the mashed potatoes, gradually stir in the hot milk, allowing the potatoes to absorb the liquid after each addition. Add more hot milk as needed to achieve the desired consistency.

Instructions for the Onion Gravy:
In a 4-quart saucepot, over medium-high heat, add 4 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter melts, add the sliced onions, Kosher salt, and fresh-ground black pepper, and stir to combine. Cook the onions until soft and slightly brown around the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the all-purpose flour, continue stirring, and cook until the onions are coated and look to have a paste-like consistency. Add just 1/4 cup of the beef broth to the flour/onion mixture and stir to form a wet-like paste. This will allow the “wet-like” paste to dissolve more easily into the remaining broth, making a lump-free gravy, and there is no need for a whisk. Add the remaining beef broth. Still using the wooden spoonula, and stirring until it comes to a boil and thickens into a gravy consistency, typically 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cover until ready to serve.

To serve this dish, spoon a bed of creamy mashed potatoes on the plate, then nestle 2 sausages on top. Pour a few ladles of my delicious onion gravy over the sausages and mashed potatoes. Finally, garnish with Italian flat-leaf parsley.

There you have it, my Bangers And Mash, and as a bonus, Toad In A Hole.

Notes:
1) I made my Yorkshire Pudding in advance of this recipe. I wanted to include “my version” of Toad In A Hole, another English comfort dish using all the same ingredients. Slice two of the Yorkshire Puddings lengthwise. Place the bottom halves onto a serving plate. Spoon a helping of the creamy mashed potatoes over top, and nestle the sausages into the mashed potatoes. Ladle the onion gravy over the sausages and mashed potatoes. Finish by resting the tops of the Yorkshire Pudding over the sausage. To get my Yorkshire Pudding recipe, click on the link available at the bottom of this post.

2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

3) *Scalded milk: Milk heated until bubbles appear around the outer rim of the pot or until the temperature of the milk reaches 181°F. This helps to dissolve butter in recipes.

4) Kcal count is only for the 4 servings of Banger and Mash.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/

https://lindalouhamel.com/2014/12/28/yorkshire-pudding/