Bangers and Mash is a British Pub Food of mild pork sausage, onion gravy and served with mashed potatoes. It’s comfort food that is easy and delicious to make.

During our few visits to the UK, we’ve never managed to try Bangers and Mash. I was inspired to try making my own when I spotted a package of pork sausages labeled “Bangers Sausages”. Research told me that the sausages are served with mashed potatoes and onion gravy. Sold!

We love British pub food. It’s not necessarily low in calories, but it’s an occasional treat that is worth the indulgence. (Shepherd’s Pie and Fish and Chips rank high on my list of favorite pub food.) Somehow, we missed seeing this menu item on our few visits to the UK.

While shopping at my local grocery, I spotted a package of British Style Bangers. My husband loves sausages, so the challenge of making my own version of Bangers and Mash was on!

This is a plain pork sausage– no herbs or spices. This is ideal, because once the sausages are cooked they will be buried in mashed potatoes and smothered with onion gravy. Sounds decadent? You bet!

Melt some butter, and add plenty of thinly sliced onion.

Cook until they turn golden brown.

To “beef up” the onion gravy flavor, I keep a jar of Better than Boullion beef base. (Otherwise, use whatever beef boullion cube that you like.)

First, add flour to thicken the caramelized onion. Give it a good stir and you’re ready for the next step. Add some beef broth, the boullion and give it a good stir. I love this wire whisk for making gravies.

Worcestershire gives the gravy an extra boost of “umami”. Season with pepper and taste. Perfect!

I’ve got my “make ahead” mashed potatoes heated and ready to serve. The onion gravy is ready to go.

TASTING NOTES: My husband is the one who loves any kind of sausage dish. He ate two sausages, and my helping was one. He loved it! The sausages are really mild in flavor and that allowed the onion gravy to really stand out. There was quite a bit of leftover gravy, and that’s in the freezer for another time.

DISCLAIMER: I made this recipe before I began my personal journey to losing some weight I had put on over the last year or so. You might notice that I’m now including nutritional values in my recipe card. Don’t look too closely at this one, as this recipe is not a Weight Watchers friendly one! Pub food is hearty, delicious and something to enjoy with a glass of beer. You can always work it off the next day!

A plate of sausages with onion gravy and mashed potatoes.

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Bangers and Mash

During our few visits to the UK, we've never managed to try Bangers and Mash. I was inspired to try making my own when I spotted a package of pork sausages labeled "Bangers Sausages". Research told me that the sausages are served with mashed potatoes and onion gravy. Sold! This pub food turned out to be delicious and easy to make.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British, English

Keyword: Bangers and Mash

Servings:

Calories: 1305kcal

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

4 large Pork Sausages plain in flavor, no herb seasonings recommended

For the onion gravy:

1 large Onion thinly sliced (white or red)
2 cups Beef Stock good quality
3 tbsp Flour
2 tbsp Butter or as needed
1.5 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Beef Cube crumbled (or 1 tsp Beef Boullion: recommended Better than Boullion
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil or as needed

For the mash (potatoes)

2 ½ pounds Potatoes peeled & diced into chunks
4 tbsp Butter at room temp
1/2 cup Heavy Cream at room temp (can sub whole milk)
2 tsp Salt plus more as needed
1 tsp English Mustard optional
Black Pepper to taste

Instructions

For the mashed potatoes:

Place the potatoes in a pot and fill with cold water until just about covered.
Add i2 tsp salt and bring to a boil until the potatoes are knife tender (10-15mins depending on size). Drain, then leave t in the colander for 5mins to allow steam to escape.
Add the potatoes back to the pot along with 4 tbsp butter.
Mash until relatively smooth, then stir in cream, mustard (if using) and a generous amount of salt & pepper (to taste). Mash a little more if needed.

For the bangers:

Add the sausages to a large pan over medium heat in a drizzle of oil.
Turn frequently until deep golden and lightly charred with the center piping hot. Keep the heat at a medium to render down the fat and cook the sausages through evenly. This can take 15mins or so depending on the size of the sausages.
Remove the sausages and leave the fat behind. There should be around 1 tbsp fat left. If there's more, reduce the butter (you want 3 tbsp fat between the sausage fat & butter).
Melt the butter in the pan, add in the onion and fry until soft and golden.
Stir in 3 tbsp flour until a paste forms, then gradually pour in the beef stock, stirring as you go to prevent lumps forming.
Serve sausages on top of mash with gravy poured over and a side of peas.

Notes

Recipe source: www.dontgobaconmyheart.

You might notice that I’m now including nutritional values in my recipe card. Don’t look too closely at this one! This recipe is not a Weight Watchers friendly one. Pub food is hearty, delicious and something to enjoy with a glass of beer. You can always work it off the next day!