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Mary Berry's sausage casserole is a delicious and filling meal perfect for chilly nights or whenever you're craving something comforting. Featuring juicy sausages cooked in a flavourful tomato sauce, along with onions, garlic, and basic vegetables, this casserole is not only satisfying but also simple to make.

The hot pot serves as a full main dish, and you can add a green vegetable if you wish, ensuring everyone in the family is satisfied. It's an easy but tasty meal that is "perfect for lazy weeknights or weekend evenings" and is ideal for family gatherings or a cosy dinner for two. This recipe serves four; however, you can easily make a larger batch and enjoy leftovers throughout the week.

• One teaspoon of sunflower oil
• Eight pork sausages
• Four rashers of smoked bacon, finely chopped
• One onion, sliced
• One red pepper, deseeded and cut into large pieces
• One large carrot, diced into smaller pieces
• One garlic clove, crushed
• 300ml of chicken stock
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• Two tablespoons of sun-dried tomato paste
• Two fresh thyme sprigs
• 250g of baby new potatoes, skin on, thickly sliced into discs
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Start by grabbing a large, deep frying pan or saute pan with a lid or a flameproof casserole dish. Heat the oil in the pan over high heat.

Add the sausages and fry them until browned on all sides, then set them aside. The flavour of the dish depends heavily on the quality of the sausages, so choose your favourite. Add the bacon and fry for a few minutes until crisp, then set aside.

Next, add the onion, pepper, carrot, and garlic to the pan and fry for five minutes over high heat. Pour in the stock, tomatoes and tomato paste, then add the thyme sprigs. Bring to the boil, add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.

If you want to bulk up the dish, you can add in mushrooms, courgettes or aubergines.

After, turn the heat down to a simmer and return the bacon and sausages to the pan. Cover and simmer on the hob for about 20 minutes.

Don't rush the cooking time, as slow cooking allows the sausages to absorb the rich tomato sauce fully.

Remove the lid and continue simmering for an additional 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced slightly and the sausages and vegetables are tender. Serve in bowls, with a green vegetable.

This sausage hot pot can be made eight hours ahead. To reheat it before eating, bring it to a boil.