Quick sausage casserole

This is just a really simple but good recipe I got from a student cookbook. It's a perfect student or family meal as it is fairly inexpensive, using mainly store-cupboard ingredients, and is very satisfying and warming for the upcoming colder months! This recipe made enough for 3 big portions - the first time I had it we had mash with it, and the second time I served it on a jacket potato with green veg. In the recipe it says just to used baked beans but I wanted more types of beans so instead of using cannellini as well I bought the new Heinz 'five beans' which has the normal baked bean in plus kidney, cannellini and 2 others. I definitely recommend doing this!
(Sorry for the not-so-great photo - I've started using my phone now instead)

Serves 4
- 6 sausages
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 green peppers, chopped
- tin of chopped tomatoes
- tin of Heinz five beans

1. Fry the sausages in some oil until browned, then set aside.
2. In the same pan, fry the onion and pepper until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil then simmer.
3. Cut up the sausages and add back to the pan, followed by the baked beans. Stir and heat through for a few minutes.
4. Serve with anything you like - mash, wedges, jacket potato, or even rice or pasta!

Enjoy :)

The perfect baked potato

Why ruin a perfectly simple jacket potato by shoving it in the microwave for 10 minutes and making it soggy!? For some reason I am far better at using the hob or the oven than a microwave anyway, since every time I use the microwave for my porridge it ends up exploding all down the side of the bowl, and in the case of the famous jacket potato - no matter what I do, whenever I bake it in the microwave the skin wrinkles and goes tough. Although I like jacket potatoes when my mum bakes them in the microwave, I think it's safe to say that everyone loves a fluffy potato with a crisp, flavoursome skin. And here is how...

You will need a jacket potato, olive oil, salt and any other seasoning you like.
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees/gas mark 6. Prick the potato with a fork or knife (this is very important - my dad once caused a potato explosion in the oven for not doing this...). Place the potato on a baking tray and brush with olive oil so the whole skin is coated. Sprinkle with salt and any other seasoning (like pepper, season all or fresh or dried herbs), and turn so that the whole potato is covered with seasoning. Bake in the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes - 2 hours. Turn halfway through cooking. The potato will be done when it looks brown in colour and crisp - stick a knife in the potato to check it is cooked through. Don't forget to extend the time if you are baking lots of potatoes at once or if it is particularly large!

Jacket potato toppings:
- Butter
- Any cheese
- Pesto
- Soured cream and chives
- Tuna mayo
- Egg mayo
- Sweetcorn
- Bacon and leek
- Fried onion and mushrooms
- Baked beans
- Coleslaw
- Chilli
- Cottage cheese
- Any flavoured spread like Philadelphia
- Chicken and garlic mayo

You can obviously mix and match any of these toppings to get some delicious flavours
Some of my favourites are:
- Green pesto and cheddar
- Brie and bacon
- Tuna mayo and mozzarella
- Sweetcorn, mushrooms with soured cream and chives
- The classic cheese and beans!

Enjoy :)