Cheesy Potato and Sausage Casserole

Hello, and apologies for the long break between posts! The past two weeks have been so busy with placement preparation and the last few assignments of the year. But now I'm back with a brand new recipe for you! This will show you how to make cheesy potato and sausage casserole (with a few extra bits). There are slightly more ingredients in this than usual, but it's still cheap and easy!

What I used:

• 2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled
• 3 sausages
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• 4 tbsp butter (I used Flora light)
• 200 ml milk
• Pinch of salt and pepper or herbs
• A generous sprinkle of grated cheese
• Cheese sauce (optional)
• Sweetcorn (optional)

What I did:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (or if you don't use celcius, here is BBC's conversion guide)

• Cut the potatoes and raw sausages into small chunks. It might be easier to use a serrated knife to do this, or a very sharp one (unlike mine. I've used it so much it's gone blunt.) 

• Boil the potatoes on a medium-high heat for about 15 minutes. While the potatoes boil, heat some oil or frylight and fry the sausages until they just begin to turn brown. 
• When the potatoes and the sausages are done, transfer them to a glass roasting dish. Gently toss them about to mix, add the flour, salt, pepper and butter and mix again. (The butter isn't absolutely essential.) At this point I added sweetcorn too.

• Measure out the milk and pour into the bowl, making sure it forms an even layer. I don't particularly like milk so I was a bit worried about this bit, but once cooked it disappears and makes the casserole nice and creamy!

• If you want to use cheese sauce to make the recipe extra creamy and cheesy, then make the sauce as normal and pour evenly over the top. I didn't use it on mine as I thought the milk would make it creamy enough for me!

• Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. After this, take out of the oven and remove the foil. Add the grated cheese, sprinkle with pepper or herbs and put back in the oven for an extra 5 minutes or so until the cheese has melted. 

So there you have it... an easy, creamy casserole for everyone! As with a lot of the recipes I post, this can be altered and experimented with according to your own tastes. You could add veggies such as onion, pepper, etc. Or try it with a different meat like fish, bacon or chicken. You could even swap the milk for stock (vegetable, beef, whatever takes your fancy) and see how that turns out! Have fun with it, make it your own and make sure to tell me how it works - I'd love to hear from you!

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Yoghurt-Coated Chicken Chunks

For as long as I can remember, chicken nuggets have been a massive part of my life. I have been, and always be, obsessed with them. But this time, instead of buying them from a shop, I decided to make my own! These yoghurt-coated chicken chunks are amazing with homemade chips, mash, roast potatoes... anything that takes your fancy. 

Looks like chicken from a takeaway... but a LOT healthier!!

What I used:
I forgot to measure out the ingredients, so they are very rough... I just used what I thought looked the right
amount, and added bits where I needed to!

• 3 mini chicken breasts (3 was slightly too much, so I'd probably use 2 next time)
• Paxo natural breadcrumbs
• A sprinkle of mixed herbs and salt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Natural Greek-style yoghurt
• A drizzle of Flora vegetable oil
• Small amounts of margerine

What I did:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and prepare the ingredients.
2. Prepare a glass roasting dish with a drizzle of oil.
3. Cut the chicken breasts into rough chunks.
4. Pour enough yoghurt into a bowl to coat all of the chicken. Stir the yoghurt until it is smooth and creamy, then add in the lemon juice and stir. 
5. Pour the breadcrumbs into a separate bowl. Add enough herbs and salt to taste.
6. Pick up each piece of chicken, either with your fingers or with tongs, and coat it in yoghurt. Make sure all of it is covered, but make sure it's not drowned in it - just enough for the breadcrumbs to stick!
7. Transfer the yoghurt-coated chicken into the bowl of breadcrumbs and roll it about to get it completely covered.
8. Place the coated chicken into the glass roasting dish. Repeat until all the chicken is covered. 
9. Cover the dish loosely with foil and put it in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove, turn the chicken over and cook for a further 20 minutes until golden brown and crispy. 
10. Remove from the oven and serve! 

You could serve this chicken with a lot of different things to make the meal that you fancy... pasta and cheese or tomato sauce, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes... you could even make your own chips and make it feel like you're eating a healthier takeaway! There are so many options, so have fun with it and experiment to make the perfect meal for you!

Yoghurt & Honey-Drizzled Granola

Good afternoon! It's a warm and sunny day here, and I've been getting into the habit of trying to eat healthily again. For today's afternoon snack, I wanted to avoid the chocolate and go for something better. So I played around with a few ingredients, and concocted an amazing mix of vanilla yoghurt and honey-drizzled granola. It can be made for a snack, for breakfast or a dessert!

What I used: 

• Fat-free vanilla yoghurt
• Asda Hawaiian Crunch Cereal - oat clusters with banana chips, raisins, dried pineapple, coconut, papaya and sunflower seeds
• Clear set honey
• Lemon juice
• Raisins

First, I poured some yoghurt into a bowl and drizzled about 2 teaspoons of lemon juice into it. Next time I make this, I would add more lemon juice because it didn't affect the taste of the yoghurt much. I then poured some granola onto the yoghurt and drizzled it with honey. I love raisins, so I sprinkled some extra ones onto the top. 

And that's it! It takes about 2 minutes to prepare, and is perfect for any time of the day.

I hope this gives you some ideas about how to eat a healthier snack or breakfast. And remember, you can experiment with the ingredients you like to make your own healthy snacks!

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I've had a few ideas...

I have a question for you... I've had a few ideas about where to go with this blog, and new types of posts I can write to fill the gaps when I'm not cooking anything worth posting. I've been doing research on things like different types of food, healthy eating and lifestyle. So I thought about transferring this research to my blog to share it with you. These are my ideas...

• Records of the food I eat, over a certain amount of days
• Tips, e.g. how to save money on food shopping, how to make unhealthy food healthier, etc.
• Health benefits of particular foods
• Things that aren't necessarily all about cooking, but do involve the food you eat. For example, how to be happy and stay positive. 

These kinds of things are the posts I've read online myself, and really inspired me. All I want to do is inspire you in the same way. So, what do you think?