Homemade Bangers and Mash Recipe

This classic homemade Bangers and Mash that is topped off with a rich caramelized onion gravy is the perfect family meal. The flavors in this easy-to-make meal make it an excellent weeknight recipe.  

If you really want to take this recipe over the top, then you should consider making my Homemade Bangers and serving it with Colcannon.  

Bangers and Mash is a traditional British and Irish dish consisting of pan-seared sausages that are served over mashed potatoes and topped off with onion gravy. It is incredibly simple to prepare and has been around for a very long time.    

While this recipe only seems to be popular in the United States around St. Patrick’s Day, this is a common meal that is served in both Britain and Ireland. With that being said, you don’t have to wait for a holiday to make this, it would be a fantastic meal to serve all year long.  

Ingredients and Substitutions 

• Sausage – Irish bangers would be best, but you can simply substitute for pork sausage.
• Onions – Yellow onions work great; however, you can use sweet or white onions as well.
• Butter – This will be used for searing the sausage,
• Wine – This part is optional, but wine is used to make a rich sauce.
• Flour – All-purpose flour will be used to help make a roux to thicken the sauce.
• Seasonings – For the sauce I add in some balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce to really make a rich flavored gravy.
• Potatoes – Red roosters are most common but can be hard to find so I like a combination of russets and golden Yukon’s.
• Milk – I prefer whole milk, but you can add a fattier liquid such as half and half or heavy cream.

How to Make Bangers and Mash  

Use these easy-to-follow procedures for making this amazing Bangers and Mash recipe:  

Heat some whole milk and butter in a small size pot over very low heat and keep warm.  

Add some butter, or oil, to a large frying pan or rondeau over medium heat and sear the sausage for 2-3 minutes per side to get a good sear on them. Do not worry about cooking completely through at this stage.  

Remove the sausage, add some more butter to the pan, and then cook the onions until they are lightly browned and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  

Deglaze with red wine and cook until it is almost gone.  

Stir in flour to make a roux and then pour in some beef stock and cook over high heat to activate the roux to thicken up the sauce.  

Finish the sauce with balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper, add the sausage back in and keep warm over low heat.  

Next, add the potatoes to a large pot of boiling water and cook for 6 to 7 minutes or until tender.  

Transfer the potatoes to a food mill and mash.  

Finish the potatoes by pouring in the hot milk and butter and season with salt and pepper and mix until combined.  

Serve the cooked bangers with mashed potatoes and gravy and garnish with optional chopped fresh parsley.   

Make-Ahead and Storage  

Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is done cooking. However, you can keep the bangers in the sauce warm as well as the mashed potatoes covered over low heat in their respective pans.  

How to Store: Keep the bangers and gravy separate from the mashed potatoes and cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The sauce and the mashed potatoes will not freeze well.  

How to Reheat: Place the desired number of mashed potatoes in a small pot with a few tablespoons of whole milk and cook over low heat while occasionally stirring until hot. In a separate pot or pan add the desired number of bangers and sauce and reheat over low heat until hot.  

chef notes + tips

• In place of a food mill use a hand masher or electric hand beaters.
• You can enhance the flavor of the mashed potatoes by substituting the milk for half and half or heavy whipping cream.
• Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, or cabernet franc work well for the red wine.

More Irish Recipes  

• Soda Bread
• Irish beef Stew
• Shepherd’s Pie
• Corned Beef and Cabbage
• Mulligan Stew

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Homemade Bangers and Mash Recipe

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5 from 6 votes

This classic homemade Bangers and Mash that is topped off with a rich caramelized onion gravy is the perfect family meal.

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 stick + 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 bangers, or pork sausages
• 2 peeled and thinly sliced yellow onions
• 2 finely minced garlic cloves
• ¼ cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound peeled and thinly sliced russet potatoes
• 1 pound peeled and thinly sliced Yukon gold potatoes
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Add the whole milk and 1 stick of butter to a small size pot over very low heat to keep warm. You basically want to warm the milk and melt the butter.
• Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to a large frying pan or rondeau over medium heat and sear the sausage for 2-3 minutes per side to get a good brown sear on them. Do not worry about cooking completely through at this stage.
• Remove the sausage, add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan, and then cook the onions over medium heat until they are lightly browned and translucent, which takes about 10 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute and then deglaze with red wine and cook until it is almost gone.
• Stir in flour to make a roux and then pour in the beef stock and cook over high heat to a boil to activate the roux to thicken up the gravy.
• Turn the heat down to low and finish the gravy with balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper, and add the sausage back in and keep warm over low heat.
• Next, add the potatoes to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 6 to 7 minutes or until tender.
• Transfer the potatoes to a food mill and mash.
• Finish the potatoes by pouring in the hot milk and melted butter and season with salt and pepper and mix with a spoon or rubber spatula until combined.
• Serve the cooked bangers with the mashed potatoes and gravy and garnish with optional chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is done cooking. However, you can keep the bangers in the sauce warm as well as the mashed potatoes covered over low heat in their respective pans.

How to Store: Keep the bangers and gravy separate from the mashed potatoes and cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The sauce and the mashed potatoes will not freeze well.

How to Reheat: Place the desired number of mashed potatoes in a small pot with a few tablespoons of whole milk and cook over low heat while occasionally stirring until hot. In a separate pot or pan add the desired number of bangers and sauce and reheat over low heat until hot.

In place of a food mill, use a hand masher or electric hand beaters.

You can enhance the flavor of the mashed potatoes by substituting the milk for half and half or heavy whipping cream.

Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, or cabernet franc work well for the red wine.

Nutrition

Calories: 615kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 22gFat: 46gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 914mgPotassium: 1003mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 581IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 3mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British, irish

Author: Chef Billy Parisi