Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all! If you didn’t get a chance to drink a ton of green beer this weekend, don’t worry – you can still celebrate by whipping up the quick and easy meal of bangers and mash.

I found the bangers at Trader Joe’s. If you can’t find any, another type of pork sausage should do. I was blown away by how tasty this was and I kind of regret not buying more of the sausages to freeze for later. This, folks, is comfort food.

Mr. Ripley was watching me intently as I photographed this meal. He ended up with some mashed potatoes on his ear (see bottom right). Don’t know how, but he did. Weird dog.

And, yes, that is a bottle of 3-buck-Chuck in the background. Turns out, we still like to drink like poor college kids.

Bangers and Mash with Red Wine and Onion Gravy
serves 4 – 6

for the bangers:
1 pound Irish banger sausages
1/4 cup dry red wine
extra virgin olive oil spray
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, torn

for the mash:
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons dairy-free butter
1/4 cup dairy-free milk
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

for the gravy:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1. To prepare the bangers: Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and spray with olive oil. Add the bangers and brown on all sides. Add red wine and sprinkle with sage. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until fully cooked, about 15 – 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the mashed potatoes and gravy. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until tender. Drain and return potatoes to the pot. Mash potatoes with butter, milk, salt and pepper.
3. While potatoes are cooking, prepare the gravy. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are very soft and browned, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle onions with flour and stir to coat. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Stir in red wine, broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Allow to cook until reduced to desired thickness.
4. Place the mash on a plate and top with bangers and serve with a generous spoonful of onion gravy.

adapted from Williams-Sonoma