family comfort food

The Hairy Bikers’ take on sausage casserole makes a wonderfully warming and filling dish, and it freezes brilliantly. 

Each serving provides 423 kcal, 23.5g protein, 16g carbohydrates (of which 9.5g sugars), 28.5g fat (of which 10g saturates), 4.5g fibre and 2g salt.



Hairy Bikers' sausage casserole

1–2 tbsp sunflower oil

pork sausages

rashers rindless streaky bacon,

onions, thinly sliced

garlic cloves, crushed

½–1 tsp hot chilli powder or smoked paprika

tin chopped tomatoes

300 milliliters/10fl oz chicken stock

tomato purée

Worcestershire sauce

dark brown muscovado sugar

herbs

bay leaves

thyme

milliliters/3½fl oz red or white wine (optional)

tin butter beans

salt and black pepper

rice bread

Mary Berry’s mother Marjorie cooked this every year on Christmas Eve. Mary still does it today with happy memories of childhood. Make it up to 36 hours ahead before cooking and keep in the fridge. 

Mary Berry's fish pie

75 grams/3 ounces butter, plus extra for greasing

onion,

flour

570 milliliters/1 pint milk

lemon juice

haddock,

/12 ounces smoked undyed haddock, cut into 1cm/½in pieces

hard-boiled free-range eggs, roughly chopped

900 grams/2lb potatoes,

milk

butter

Easy as (chicken and leek) pie. The sauce is made with a soft cream cheese with wholegrain mustard. Serve with frozen peas and carrots for a simple family supper.


Chicken and leek pie

olive oil

chicken breasts, roughly chopped

leek,

garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed

250 grams/9 ounces cream cheese

mustard

vegetable stock cube

ready-rolled puff pastry (320 grams/11½ oz)

brush the top

How to make an easy chicken and leek pie

For the coldest wintry evenings, tuck into a rich beef stew with fluffy dumplings to warm you right down to your toes.

Beef stew

grams/1lb 10 ounces beef braising steak, chopped into bite-sized pieces

tbsp plain flour

baby onions, peeled

celery,

carrots,

leeks, roughly chopped

swede,

150 milliliters/5fl oz red wine

500 milliliters/18fl oz beef stock

thyme leaves

parsley

Worcestershire sauce,

tbsp balsamic vinegar,

grams/4½oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting

tsp baking powder

salt

60 grams/2½oz suet

water, to make a dough

potato

A no-fuss veggie pasta bake packed full of your 5-a-day! Make sure you use a vegetarian-friendly hard cheese if you're cooking for vegetarians.

Each serving provides 598 kcal, 23g protein, 68g carbohydrate (of which 14g sugars), 24g fat (of which 8g saturates), 10g fibre and 0.6g salt.

Vegetable pasta bake

red pepper, seeds removed,

yellow pepper, seeds removed,

aubergine, finely chopped

courgette, finely chopped

red onion, sliced

150 grams/5½oz cherry tomatoes, halved

tbsp basil

300 grams/10½oz pasta,

pesto

2-3 tbsp finely grated Parmesan, or a vegetarian hard cheese alternative

A wonderfully comforting chicken pasta bake, this can be made ahead and will go down really well with the family. 

Each serving provides 532 kcal, 35g protein, 46g carbohydrates (of which 10g sugars), 22g fat (of which 11.5g saturates), 4.5g fibre and 0.9g salt.

Chicken pasta bake

butter,

penne

onion, roughly chopped

chicken

paprika

grams/1¾oz plain flour

milliliters/1 pint 6 fl oz hot milk (see tip)

Dijon mustard

100 grams/3½oz Parmesan cheese,

tomatoes,

This bolognese pasta bake can be assembled ahead, ready to pop in the oven. My method of frying the mushrooms ensures they stay firm and flavourful, not soft and soggy.

You will need a large, shallow ovenproof dish, about 1.7 litres/3 pints capacity.


Bolognese bake

onions, chopped

celery sticks, finely chopped

beef mince

x 400 grams tins chopped tomatoes

350–500 milliliters/12–18fl oz beef stock

tsp redcurrant jelly

250 grams/9 ounces chestnut mushrooms, sliced

tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

penne pasta

grams/1¾oz cheddar, grated

grams/1 ounces Parmesan, grated

Nothing hits the spot quite like those dishes that evoke memories of home.

Mary Berry's wonderful bolognese pasta bake

A gnocchi bake is a super comforting and easy one-pan family dinner. A bit like a pasta bake just using a bag of gnocchi and some veggies straight out of the freezer.

The great thing about only using one pan is you hardly have to wash up!

Each serving provides 405 kcal, 19g protein, 22g carbohydrates (of which 9g sugars), 26g fat (of which 14.5g saturates), 5g fibre and 1.1g salt.


One-pan gnocchi bake

onion, finely sliced

400 milliliters/14fl oz milk, full-fat

Dijon

150 grams/5½oz mature cheddar,

500 grams/1lb 2 ounces shop-bought gnocchi

broccoli florets

100 grams/3½ oz frozen peas

cherry tomatoes, halved

Miguel Barclay makes an easy, creamy gnocchi bake with frozen veg. Perfect family fare.

One-pot gnocchi bake

This easy version of the Louisiana classic still uses the ‘holy trinity’ of celery, pepper and onions to form the base of the dish. It’s all cooked in less than half an hour in only one pan, saving you time on the cooking as well as the washing up!

Each serving provides 392 kcal, 28g protein, 59g carbohydrate (of which 8g sugars), 4g fat (of which 1g saturates), 4g fibre and 1g salt.


Prawn jambalaya

onion, finely chopped

garlic cloves, finely chopped

tsp sweet smoked paprika

½ tsp ground cumin

basmati rice

500 milliliters/18fl oz chicken stock

vine tomatoes, finely chopped

prawns

parsley,

lemon,

The classic sausage and mash served with homemade onion gravy and peas. Simple and sure to please all the family. This is designed to be a low cost recipe.

Sausage and mash

sausages

onions, sliced

½ tsp dried mixed herbs

½ tsp English mustard

600 milliliters/20fl oz stock (ideally beef, although chicken or vegetable is fine)

tsp softened butter

tsp plain flour

100 milliliters/3½fl oz milk

300 grams/10½oz frozen peas

This wholesome warming one-pot vegetarian casserole is perfect for cold January nights. It's full of beans, celeriac and topped with fluffy dumplings. This wholesome one pot is perfect for cold nights – simple enough to whip up quickly, but smart enough to serve to friends.


Vegetable casserole with dumplings

onion, chopped

tbsp butter

tsp English mustard powder

150 milliliters/5fl oz apple juice

vegetable stock

tbsp wholegrain mustard

450 grams/1lb peeled celeriac, chopped into 1–2cm/½–¾in thick, small wedges

leeks,

100 grams/3½oz baby spinach

tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

tarragon

150 grams/5½oz self-raising flour, plus extra for rolling

½ tsp baking powder

tarragon,

75 grams/2¾ oz natural yoghurt

tbsp dark muscovado sugar

Mary Berry's easy chicken korma-style curry is mild enough for all the family to enjoy. Mary replaces the usual cream with yoghurt for a lighter, fresher taste.


Korma-style chicken curry 

sunflower oil

brown onions, thinly sliced

red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped

tbsp medium curry powder

tsp cumin

green cardamom pods, crushed to remove the seeds

450 milliliters/16fl oz chicken stock

125 grams/4½oz ground almonds

mango chutney

½ lemon, juice only

200 grams/7 ounces full-fat natural yoghurt

coriander

Mary Berry cooks a moreish Korma style Chicken for Heathrow Airport's Fire Service.

Mary Berry's Korma style Chicken

Matzo ball soup is a classic Jewish dish of flourless dumplings – they’re made with matzo meal – served in a comforting chicken broth.

Matzo ball soup

60 grams/2¼oz matzo meal

tbsp margarine, melted (or schmaltz, see Recipe Tip below)

eggs,

tbsp sparkling water

chicken stock

bone in chicken thighs (skin removed)

carrot, finely chopped

celery stick, finely chopped

light oil

dill,

An alternative Sunday roast, this flavoursome pie is much easier to prepare than it looks and makes the perfect centrepiece for a meat-free meal. For a delicious vegan version, swap the milk for a plant-based alternative and make sure your puff pastry is vegan.

This recipe is part of a <a href=" https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/budget_vegetarian_family_meal_plan_for_four"> Budget vegetarian meal plan for four</a>. In September 2023 this recipe was costed at an average of £3.88 when checking prices at four UK supermarkets. This recipe is designed to be made in conjunction with a <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/budget_recipes">low-cost store-cupboard</a>.

Creamy mushroom pie and vegetables

vegetable oil

250 milliliters/9fl oz hot vegetable stock, made with 1 vegetable stock cube

pack ready-rolled puff pastry

350 grams/12 ounces medium carrots, peeled and halved lengthways

350 grams/12 ounces medium parsnips, peeled and halved lengthways

250 grams/9 ounces frozen peas

Serve the Hairy Bikers' easy sausage traybake with a big pile of wintery greens, such as Savoy cabbage. Optional chilli flakes will counter the maple sweetness.

Top 16 family comfort food recipes from across the web

The most viewed family comfort food recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Hairy Bikers' sausage casserole

Mary Berry's fish pie

Chicken and leek pie

Beef stew

Vegetable pasta bake

Chicken pasta bake

Bolognese bake

One-pan gnocchi bake

Prawn jambalaya

Sausage and mash

Vegetable casserole with dumplings

Hairy Bikers' sausage casserole

Korma-style chicken curry

Matzo ball soup

Creamy mushroom pie and vegetables

Sausage, chicken and squash traybak...

Top 16 family comfort food recipes from across the web

The most viewed family comfort food recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Hairy Bikers' sausage casserole

Mary Berry's fish pie

Chicken and leek pie

Beef stew

Vegetable pasta bake

Chicken pasta bake

Bolognese bake

One-pan gnocchi bake

Prawn jambalaya

Sausage and mash

Vegetable casserole with dumplings

Hairy Bikers' sausage casserole

Korma-style chicken curry

Matzo ball soup

Creamy mushroom pie and vegetables

Sausage, chicken and squash traybak...

The most viewed family comfort food recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine