Cooking Sausages On the Stove

There’s nothing like a hearty sausage and mashed potato dinner with lashings of gravy -  or perhaps sausages for breakfast with some scrambled eggs and toast?

Sausages do not always get the credit they deserve - there are so many varieties and they're just full of flavor!

Most sausages are typically made from pork, but you can also find them made with lamb, chicken and other meats. Seasoning like herbs and spices are added and some specialty brands will contain extra ingredients like cooked apple and caramelized onions.

Sausages also contain a binding ingredient called rusk which helps keep all of the ingredients together and helps to prevent the sausage from drying out while cooking by absorbing the fat. 

There are so many varieties of sausages available, it can be hard to know which ones to choose! Here are a few of our favorites:

- Cumberland: pork sausage that typically includes seasonings such as pepper (white or black), sage, thyme, nutmeg, cayenne and mace; this sausage is known for its spiral shape.

- Toulouse: this pork sausage originated in France and uses red wine and garlic to give it a rich flavor; you can also find bacon and thyme added to some Toulouse sausages. 

- Merguez: this sausage originated from North Africa and is actually made with lamb rather than pork, along with spices like cumin, garlic and harissa. 

- Lincolnshire: this chunky pork sausage's prominent feature is coarsely ground sage which packs a punch of flavor.

- Gloucester: these sausages are great for breakfast and have a deliciously high fat content! 

- Chorizo-style: whilst not a true chorizo, this pork sausage uses chorizo inspired flavors like garlic and paprika.

- Italian/Sicilian: inspired by Italian flavors like fennel, garlic and rosemary, these pork sausages are great for use in pastas. 

Regardless of the filling used in sausages, they are all contained in a thin casing. In some cases this may be made from animal intestine!

Our favorite way to cook is sausages on the stove.

All you need to do is heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and add the sausages. As they heat up, a bit of fat will seep out of them; turn them in the fat so that they are coated.

Continue to cook them for about 15-20 minutes, moving them often so they cook evenly.

You can tell your sausages are ready when the outside of them is a deep golden brown color and the inside is pale. Any juices that come out of the sausages should be clear. 

One of our favorite sausage recipes is our Easy Sausage and Pepper Pasta recipe which is all done in one pot for easy cleanup!

You can use your preferred sausage links in this recipe, but we love a chunky Lincolnshire packed full of sage. You can also use an Italian/Sicilian style sausage which pairs wonderfully with the garlicky-tomato sauce.