I don't mind admitting that it took me three tries to perfect this recipe for smoked cheese and bean sausages. I was desperately trying to make them vegan and gluten-free, for no reason other than because I like to challenge myself. Turns out, it's just not possible (well, it probably is, but I didn't manage it). With my first two attempts, the sausages looked okay before baking, but after a few minutes in the oven they melted down into a big, flat sheet of vegetarian sausage. Not exactly the look I was going for.
In the end I abandoned the vegan / gluten-free thing, and instead turned to the tried and tested combination of egg and breadcrumbs. They provide a solid base for any kind of vegetarian sausage - in the past I've made mushroom and brie sausages, green olive and artichoke sausages, and sun-dried tomato and pine nut sausages. It works every time, and gives a great 'meaty' texture to whatever kind of vegetarian sausages you fancy.
This time I used white beans for a bit of extra protein, and smoked cheddar for flavour. Have you ever had smoked cheese? It's got soooo much flavour - you don't need a huge amount to make these sausages super tasty. A handful of fresh parsley finishes it all off perfectly.
As with all of my recipes, these bean sausages are really easy. Mix everything up together in a food processor, shape into sausages, and bake until they're golden brown and crispy. A monkey could do it.
You can serve your bean sausages in a million different ways. They're great as part of a Sunday roast, with roast potatoes and roasted vegetables. You can serve them bangers-and-mash style, with mashed potato, veggies, and a good glug of gravy. Or, if you prefer, serve them with chips (fries!) and baked beans to take yourself back to your childhood. All of these ways are fab.
📖 Printable Recipe
Smoked cheese and bean sausages
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Print Pin CommentIngredients
- 140 g bread (4 average slices)
- 2 eggs
- Small bunch fresh parsley
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 400 g tin cannellini beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 ¼ cups, when drained)
- 65 g smoked cheddar cheese, grated (~ 1 cup when grated)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (Gas Mark 6 / 400°F). Line and lightly grease a baking tray, and set aside.
- Add the bread to a food processor, and blitz to form a coarse crumb. Add the eggs, parsley, and a good pinch of salt and pepper, and blitz again to combine.
- Next add the drained cannellini beans and the grated smoked cheddar, and blitz for around 10 seconds, so that the mixture is combined, but still has a bit of texture. It should be quite sticky, but firm.
- With clean hands, split the mixture into 8 roughly even portions. Working with one section at a time, firmly squeeze the mixture together, and form it into a sausage shape. Place on the lined baking tray, and repeat with the remaining sausage mixture. Bake for around 50 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose.
If you've got any smoked cheese left over, it's great in my smoked cheddar, walnut and broccoli tarts:
Brendan says
Nice!! Easy to make. Looks really tasty. Will surely try making it.
Kelsey says
These look great! Can they be made ahead and frozen/refrigerated, either prior to cooking or after cooking?
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
I've not tried freezing these so I can't say for sure, but I say you should try everything once :) I'd probably try shaping them and then freeze them before cooking? They can definitely be refrigerated either before or after cooking too :)
Harriet from Toby & Roo says
These look lovely! I love sausages like this - they remind me of glamorgan sausages! H x
Helen Kennedy says
Yummy! I served them with home made oven chips and onion gravy the first day (with some stir mushrooms with garlic and soya on the side). They were fine gently warmed the next day with new potatoes and cauliflower. Thank you for sharing.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Thanks Helen, glad you liked them :) They're so good with gravy!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
With gravy, oh yes please Becca. Fab! Stumbled, pinned and yummed.
Sheryl says
I made these last night and shared some of the mixture with my daughter. I served mine with homemade peach chutney. Got a text this morning from my daughter telling me they were yummy.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Ooh peach chutney! I would never have thought of serving them with that. Glad you both enjoyed them! :)