SAUSAGE, LEEK AND APPLE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cut the bacon into slices and brown it in a pan for a few minutes with the sausages. You can use cooking spray if you like but the bacon usually makes enough fat of it's own to help the sausages along.
• While the meat is browning, cut the mushrooms in half, cube the apple, slice the leek and cut the carrot into batons.
• When the meat is done, put it to one side in the crock pot / casserole dish along with the mushrooms and apple. Add the remaining veg (leek and carrot) to the pan to soften a little.
• After a couple of minutes, sprinkle the flour over the veg and mix through (the flour thickens the sauce, but if you prefer a more watery gravy then you can omit this step).
• Add the cider to the pan - it will bubble up to begin with but don't worry about it. Turn up the heat and cook for a couple of minutes to burn the alcohol off (I sniff-test it and cook until it stops smelling boozy).
• Transfer all the ingredients in the pan to the crock pot / casserole dish (cider and all).
• Now this is where you have to use your judgement a bit! I find 300ml water is usually about right to top up my crock pot, but you may find you need a bit more/less depending on the exact amount of ingredients you have used (ie. size of sausages, carrot, etc.). So as not to waste any of the stock cube, I crumble it into the crock pot without dissolving it in water first and then add as much water as is needed to JUST cover all the ingredients.
• CROCKPOT: Cook on Low for 8-9hrs or Medium for around 5hrs.
• OVEN: I've never actually made this in the oven but have no doubt it would work just as well. I would imagine that, if you cover the casserole dish and cook it at around 150 degrees it should be done in a couple of hours.