Hotdog hotpot – budget winter warmer

Hardened foodies, or other sceptics (like my wife ha ha!) may turn their noses up at Hotdog Hotpot from the Hairy Dieters’ latest book, ‘Make it Easy’, but let me tell you they are missing out on an absolute treat!

I love making dishes which utilise cheaper cuts of meat, and you can pick up a pack of frankfurters for around £2 in most supermarkets. This is just a brilliant easy-to-make, budget friendly and tasty winter warmer of a dish which is surprisingly satisfying. The frankfurters, potatoes, apples and cabbage go together brilliantly, along with the sage, stock and cider. Fantastic, and even more so because a serving of this is less than 300 calories!

The cooking time is over an hour but there’s very little prep involved or much to do once everything is in the pan.

Recipe: Hotdog hotpot – budget winter warmer for under 300 cals!

Calories: 287 calories per serving

Serves: 6

Book: Hairy Dieters – Make it Easy

Prep time: Approx 10 mins

Cooking time: Approx 70 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion (cut into wedges)
• 360g jumbo frankfurters (cut into 4cm lengths)
• 400g floury potatoes (washed but unpeeled and cut into 3cm chunks)
• 1 eating apple (peeled and cut into wedges)
• 1 tbsp dried sage
• 200ml cider
• 200ml chicken, beef or vegetable stock
• 300g savoy cabbage (about ½ medium-sized, cut into 8 wedges)
• Sea salt
• Ground black pepper.

Cost per portion: Approx *0.79p *cost based on Tesco prices – December 2022

Method: Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish. Add the onion and the frankfurters and cook them gently over a high heat until the frankfurters are lightly browned all over.

Cut the potatoes into 3cm chunks and add them to the dish with the apple wedges and sage, then season with salt and pepper. Pour over the cider and bring it to the boil. Cook until the cider has reduced by half, then add the stock – it should just cover the potatoes.

Put the wedges of savoy cabbage on top so they will steam, then bring the liquid back to the boil. Turn down the heat and cover the dish, then leave the hotpot to cook for 45 minutes.

By this point the potatoes should have started to break down and thicken the stock. Leave the hotpot to simmer uncovered for a further 15 minutes to concentrate the cooking liquid, then serve it piping hot.