Classic British Bangers and Mash

Bangers and Mash is one of the most comforting British dishes, perfect for the whole family.  

Bangers are sausages, and these are served with "mash" (British mashed potatoes), a brown gravy, and peas. Easy to make at home, this is one of the best comfort food dinners around.  

This is traditional British pub food that you can easily make it home.

What is Bangers and Mash?

Bangers and Mash is the food of my childhood! It is pork sausages, served with mashed potato, plenty of onion gravy and green peas.

(My mum would always serve it with honey glazed carrots as well - but that isn't traditional)

You'll find a version of bangers and mash on nearly every British and Irish pub menu, and it really is a hearty warming dish of food. 

But Why Bangers???

So most sausages these days are good quality sausages! They are filled with ground quality meat, herbs, spices, and a little rusk or grain mixed with fat to keep them moist. But during the war and food rationing, meat was in short supply, so sausages were bulked up with fillers like breadcrumbs and water. When cooked, if the sausages weren't pierced and then cooked slowly over low heat, the water would cause the sausages to explode with a bang. They were affectionally named bangers, and the name has stuck ever since. 

Today in the UK and Ireland, bangers are very cheap sausages that don't contain much meat, they aren't the tastiest or the nicest sausages, but the name is still synonymous with all sausages.

Ingredient Notes 

These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients; for a complete ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.

Sausages: This may be called bangers and mash, but don't buy bangers! By this I mean don't buy the cheapest sausages going. You want a good quality meaty sausage. If you can find them in your grocery store, pick a British or an Irish Sausage. If not, then a good quality breakfast sausage will be fine.
Potatoes: You want a medium-starch potato like Yukon Gold, Dutch Cream, Desiree, or Maris Piper. This gives you a fluffy mash, but with plenty of taste.
Milk: I use full fat milk but you cause reduced fat/semi skimmed/hi-low milk.
Beef Broth/Stock: Use reduced sodium broth to regulate the salt content.
Beef better than bouillon/beef bouillon powder: this adds extra depth to the gravy. If you don't have it ou can use a bit of crumbled stock cube. Or just add extra salt.

Recipe Tips

Recipe Adaptions/Substitutions

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Bangers and Mash

Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts

Bangers and Mash, or sausages and mashed potato, is a British pub classic! Served with plenty of gravy, it is comfort food at it's very best. Tender sausages, buttery, creamy English mashed potatoes, and plenty of rich, thick onion gravy! Serve a side of peas or some buttered veg, and you have a delicious, easy family meal.

4.92 from 35 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine English, Irish, Modern British

Servings 4

Calories 890 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryGrams

 

1x2x3x

For the "Mash"

• 1 ½ lbs potatoes – see note 1
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ¼ cup milk
• 4 tablespoon butter – see note 2
• salt and pepper

For the "Bangers" and gravy

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 8 sausages - see note 3
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 onions - sliced into half-moons – see note 4
• 2 tablespoon AP flour
• 1 ½ cup beef broth/stock – see note 5
• ½ teaspoon beef better than bouillon/beef bouillon powder – see note 6
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 2 tablespoon heavy cream
• salt to taste

To Serve

• Peas

Instructions

 

Start with the mash

• Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters.

  1 ½ lbs potatoes

  
  
  
  
• Place the potatoes in a pan and add cold water until they are covered by at least an inch of water.
• Add the salt and bring to a boil.

  1 tablespoon salt

  
  
  
  
• Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20-25 minutes until tender to a fork.
• While the potatoes are cooking, heat the milk in the microwave (or in a small pan) until it is just below boiling.

  ¼ cup milk

  
  
  
  
• Once the potatoes are boiling, start cooking the sausages (see below) - set a timer for your potatoes!
• Drain the potatoes very well and leave them in the sieve or colander for several minutes to really steam dry.
• Use a hand masher or potato ricer to mash until smooth.
• Add the butter and hot milk and stir to combine well.

  4 tablespoon butter

  
  
  
  
• Check the seasoning on your mash and add salt and pepper to taste.

  salt and pepper

  
  
  
  

While the potatoes are cooking cook the sausages and gravy

• Pour the oil into a large skillet or frying pan and heat over medium-high heat.

  1 tablespoon oil

  
  
  
  
• Add the sausages to the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes, turning often.

  8 sausages

  
  
  
  
• While the sausages are cooking peel the onions and cut into half-moon shapes.

  2 onions
  
  
• Remove the sausages onto a plate and tent with foil.
• Turn the heat down to medium and add the butter and oil to the pan.

  1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  1 tablespoon oil

  
  
  
  
• Add the sliced onions, cook for 5-8 minutes until tender and starting to color.

  2 onions - sliced into half-moons

  
  
  
  
• Reduce the heat to low, then add in the flour and cook for 2 minutes until well combined and lightly golden brown.

  2 tablespoon AP flour

  
  
  
  
• Whisk in ¼ cup of the broth. The mixture will become a very thick paste. Gradually whisk in ¼ cup more broth. Once the mixture has thinned slightly, you can slowly whisk in the remaining broth.

  1 ½ cup beef broth/stock

  
  
  
  
• Add the bouillon powder/paste.

  ½ teaspoon beef better than bouillon/beef bouillon powder

  
  
  
  
• Bring to a low simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened and glossy.
• Add the mustard and heavy cream, taste and season with salt if needed.

  1 teaspoon mustard

  2 tablespoon heavy cream

  salt to taste

  
  
  
  
• Return the sausages, and any juice that has collected, to the pan, and place over low heat to warm through, while you finish the mash.

Notes

1. You want a medium-starch potato like Yukon Gold, Dutch Cream, Desiree, or Maris Piper.
2. If you have it use salted butter; if not unsalted butter will work, just add extra salt to taste at the end of mashing.
3. If you can find them in your grocery store, pick a British or an Irish Sausage. If not, then a good quality breakfast sausage will be fine.
4. You can use brown onions, white onions, red onions, or shallots. I use brown onions as they are cheap and easy to find.
5. You can use chicken broth/stock instead. Your gravy will just be lighter in color.
6. Bouillon powder or paste is an intense base that you can use to make broth/stock. I like the Better than Bouillon brand. But you can use your favorite bouillon powder or half a crumbled stock cube. (You can use chicken instead of beef)

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Nutrition

Calories: 890kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 71g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Cholesterol: 172mg | Sodium: 619mg | Potassium: 484mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 700IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 8mg

Nutrition is per serving

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