Slow Cooker Sausages in Onion and Mushroom Gravy

This meal couldn't be easier - My boys absolutely love this one and prefer it to any other sausage dishes as the skins are so soft and the sausages absorb the flavour of the stock.  Little does the 7YO know but it's a sneaky way of adding nutrients to his diet as although he eats fruit - he avoids most veggies.  It also works well on the nights that they have football practise as I can prepare it at lunchtime then spend the afternoon with Ben, before taking 20 minutes to finish it off when they get home - essential for hungry mouths who don't like waiting, otherwise the snacking will start!  Plus, the smell of dinner when you first walk in us unbeatable and always extracts excited comments from them.

Preheat Slow Cooker on high and boil the kettle

Grill sausages as per normal

Whilst sausages are cooking, peel and quarter 3 onions

Prepare potatoes and veggies as normal and leave covered in cold water until you're ready to cook them

Heat stock in the microwave (I saved half my chicken and veg stock from yesterday!)

By the time this is done, the sausages should be cooked

Transfer sausages to the slow cooker, add the onions, stock, plus some mushrooms

Turn the slow cooker to Low and it will be ready within 2 to 3 hours

When ready to serve, remove the sausages, onions and mushrooms from the slow cooker and transfer the stock to a saucepan (I use the one I've just cooked the potatoes in to save washing up!)

Bring up to the boil then add some gravy granules and cornflour to thicken to own preference.

Slow Cooker Tips:

Don't be tempted to keep tasting, despite the yummy smells - everytime you take off the lid, you need to add at least 15 minutes to the cooking time

Try to brown your meat before adding to the slow cooker otherwise the final meal will look really insipid

By cooking the sausages fully first, it removes most of the fat - it would be possible to cook chilled sausages from raw but the resulting stock will be greasier

Never cook meat from frozen

Always add hot liquid, not cold as this reduces the heat of the slow cooker and therefore the ingredients are at a dangerous temperature for bacterial growth