Smoked sausage, eggs and Feta Cheese baked in clay pots (rustic slow cooker casseroles) with vegetables. One delicious traditional Bulgarian recipe (called ‘guveche‘) that is ready in an hour or less. Kid-friendly.
Today we are making a very popular rustic main meal in Bulgarian cuisine, called ‘guveche‘. Guveche is an easy comfort meal, made with basic, wholesome ingredients, deeply rooted in Bulgarian culinary traditions. Cooking in clay pots is a time-honored tradition in Bulgaria, and eating directly from the pot adds an authentic, rustic touch to the meal. If you ever visit a traditional Bulgarian shop for ceramic dishes, clay pots are one of the most popular ones.
FUN FACTS: WHAT ARE BULGARIAN CLAY POTS? – Bulgarian clay pots are traditional (some may call them rustic) casseroles – an ancestor of the modern electric slow cooker. Bulgarian clay pots are made from natural clay, which is fired at high temperatures. This process makes them durable while retaining the beneficial properties of earthenware, such as even heat distribution and moisture retention.
The inside of these pots is typically glazed, which helps prevent food from sticking and makes them easier to clean. Whereas the exterior is natural unglazed or with beautiful traditional patterns. Bulgarian clay pots come in two main sizes – small for individual meals, or large for one family meal (known as ‘guvetsh’).
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Onions – minced
- Peas – precooked from a can or homemade
- Red peppers – fresh or roasted red bell peppers can be used
- Tomatoes – freshly chopped or from a can
- Mushrooms – it’s best to use fresh mushrooms or frozen, but not canned
- Smoked sausage – any type of sausage you like
- Feta Cheese – or white Bulgarian cheese
- Eggs – large
NOTE: Bulgarian Clay pots are traditional cookware made from clay, similar to these Mexican ones on Amazon. Many cultures around the world have been using clay cookware for centuries for safe, toxin-free meals that happen to be very delicious. If you are looking for something traditional Bulgarian, these mini casserole pots on Etsy are just the thing.
How to cook Sausage and Feta Bake in Clay pots?
1st: Place tomato puree and veggies at the bottom of the pots, then add slices of cheese and cut sausage. Bake under a lid for a while.
2nd: Next, add eggs to the pots and cook for another 10 minutes with removed lid. Serve in the clay pots.
TIP: When baking, place all clay pots into one large baking dish (should be thin-bottomed) and then bake in the oven. That way taking the clay pots in and out the oven is much easier (and heavier though).
What to serve with Feta Egg Sausage Bake?
A traditional salad always is a good idea:
Feta Egg and Sausage Bake (Clay Pot)
Equipment
- 4 clay pots with lids (Bulgarian) 0.500 liters
Ingredients
- 1/2 can tomatoes
- 1 can peas
- 10 medium mushrooms, chopped
- 1 onion, cut in slices
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 smoked sausages, cut
- 400 g Feta Cheese, cut in slices
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
- Distribute the tomatoes evenly at the bottom of each clay pot. Then, add peas, chopped mushrooms, onions and red peppers evenly to all clay pots.
- Arrange slices of Feta Cheese on top. Sprinkle with the chopped sausage as well. Place the lids on and bake in (cold) oven for about 20-30 minutes.
- Next, take clay pots out of the oven and remove lids. Add one egg per each clay pot and return in the oven for another 10 minutes (lids removed).
- Let cool slightly and serve with a slice of bread.
Notes
Nutrition
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Delicious, quick and traditional dinner.