Root vegetable layer bake recipe

This budget-beating root vegetable layer bake bake can be served as a meal on its own or with sausages for a meaty twist. 

It only costs approximately £1.48 per serving and contains 128 calories and 4g fat making this dish ideal as a healthy family meal - in fact it's one of our best cheap family meals. This recipe will feed 6 hungry people. Sprinkle with cheese for a crispy top and leave to bake in the oven for 1hr and 40 mins whilst you get on with setting the table or sorting out the kids, and serve with gravy. Any leftover overs, cover in cling film, pop in the fridge and eat within 1-2 days.

Ingredients

• 30g butter
• 2 onions, peeled and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1 celeriac, about 500g peeled weight
• 4 thyme sprigs, leaves removed
• 4 sage leaves, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 parsnips, about 300g
• 3 carrots, about 250g
• 3 largish potatoes, about 600g , thinly sliced
• ¾ litre hot vegetable stock
• 24 chipolata sausages, to serve
• 2 litre ovenproof dish

Method

1. Set the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
2. Grease the dish with a little of the butter and melt the rest in the frying pan. Add the onion, cover, and cook over a medium heat for 8 mins, then add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.
3. Meanwhile, thinly slice the celeriac and spread out in the dish. Top with half the cooked onion and herbs. Season well. Slice the parsnips and carrots thinly lengthways, arrange on top, then scatter the rest of the onion, herbs and more seasoning over. Arrange potatoes on top.
4. Pour the stock in. Cover the dish with buttered foil and bake, on a tray, for 45 mins. Remove the foil and cook for another 45 mins until the veg are soft and the potatoes are browned. Cook the sausages in the oven at the same time for about 30 mins.

Top tip for making root vegetable layer bake

For a vegetarian meal, sprinkle the top with 60g grated mature Cheddar cheese and a good handful of breadcrumbs. Serve with a warm mixed-bean salad flavoured with herbs.