My hairy biker casserole recipe is a dinner that will stick to your bones, and leave you feeling satisfied. This one-pot dinner is loaded with diced bacon, sausage links, onions, garlic, a handful of spices, tomatoes, butter beans, and a splash of white wine. This hairy bikers’ sausage dish is perfect for a cold night.
This is a dish that bikers would make when they were out on the open roads and needed a dish that was a total comfort food but also kept them warm through the chilly nights. Pair with some slices of rustic bread for slathering up the sauce on the plate, and walk away enjoying this sausage and bean casserole.
If you are a lover of hearty and comfort meals try my meatball dump and bake casserole, or even this chicken hashbrowns casserole.
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Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you will need to make this recipe. You can find the full list in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- bacon
- sausage links
- onion
- garlic
- chicken broth
- smoked paprika
- Italian seasoning
- thyme
- salt
- black pepper
- petite diced tomatoes
- Worcestershire sauce
- tomato paste
- brown sugar
- bay leaves
- white wine
- butter beans
Instructions
This is a quick overview of the instructions to make this recipe. You can find the full steps in the recipe card.
Start with a large non-stick frying pan and turn to medium heat. Add your bacon and cook until the bacon is fully cooked. You will push the bacon to the sides once it is rendering fat.
Add in the sausages. Brown sausages and cook until they are fully cooked on all sides. Then remove them from the skillet.
Add in your onions and cook until they are softened. Then stir in the garlic and cook until caramelized.
Pour in the chicken broth, seasonings, tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil on medium-high heat, and then once it boils reduce to low heat.
Simmer for 20 minutes allowing the flavors to blend. Stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add the sausages back to the pan.
Stir in the white beans, and cook another 10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Once you are done cooking remove the bay leaf. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Hint: Use a wooden spoon and scrape off any stuck-on browned bits on the pan and it will add even more flavor to the dish.
Variations
Here are a few ways you can change up this hairy biker sausage casserole to fit a dish for the whole family.
- Spicy – reach for spicy sausages and use that in replace of the sausage links. This is a great alternative to add more flavor to the dish.
- Potatoes – chop up some diced potatoes add to the large saucepan and sear the potatoes to create a nice crunch. This can replace the beans or be in addition to the beans.
- Ham – if you have some leftover holiday ham, or just love ham, consider adding some ham into the mixture. Replace the bacon or in addition for three types of meat being used.
Check out my Andouille sausage and spaghetti for another simple weeknight dinner idea.
Equipment
The main thing you need is a large non-stick skillet or even a cast iron skillet for this dish. Then you might want a nice wooden spoon or tongs for stirring around this dish. This is a very simple recipe and requires just a few tools to make this casserole dish.
Storage
Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Then reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop. Heat long enough to warm it all the way through.
You can also freeze any of the leftovers if you would like. Simply place in the freezer and freeze for 3-4 months. Then thaw in the fridge overnight, or reheat straight from the freezer.
Wendy’s Test Kitchen Tips
- Make sure to add olive oil or vegetable oil to the pan when you go to saute onions and garlic if you remove all the bacon grease. If you have bacon grease in the pan, leave the remaining oil as it will flavor the dish even more.
- I recommend cooking the bacon until it is nice and crispy that way it is not chewy and soft when you go to eat the dish.
- Ensure the sausages fully cooked.
- Allowing the dish to simmer with the beans will help soak in and thicken the sauce, so it is more like a gravy texture.
- Play around with spices if you want to add more flavor. Chili powder, onion powder, and garlic salt, all can be added if you want to enhance the flavors even more.
FAQs
This is a fun casserole made with meat, vegetables, and a rich sauce. It is a comforting one-pot meal made on the stovetop or in a large casserole dish. It got its name way back in the day when bikers made a hearty casserole after riding all day long.
Go right ahead and play around with the meats used. Stew meat, lamb, pork, or even chicken can be used. Reach for bratwurst or other types of meat as well. Essentially this has endless options.
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Hairy Biker Casserole:
I hope you’ll like this recipe, and please, if you make this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #mamasonabudget— I love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! Thank you.
Hairy Biker Casserole
Equipment
- large skillet
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 12 ounces pork link sausages
- 2 sweet onions thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ⅛ teaspoon thyme leaves
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 28 ounces petite diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup white wine optional
- 15 ounces large butter beans drained and rinsed
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until it begins rendering the fat.
- Push the bacon to the sides of the skillet. Add the sausages and brown on all sides, cooking for about 10 minutes. Remove the sausages but keep warm.
- To the skillet, add the onions and cook until they begin to soften. Stir in the garlic. Continue cooking until the onions are soft and caramelized.
- Add the chicken broth, seasonings, tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, bay leaves., and wine.
- Return the sausages to the skillet.
- Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and continue cooking for 20 minutes.
- As the meal simmers, stir occasionally to keep the food from sticking to the bottom.
- Stir the beans into the skillet.
- Continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the casserole is thick.