This is a wonderful side dish, or a delicious main course with a crisp green salad. The Alsop & Walker Smoked Mayfield, caramelised onions and soft beans are a match made in heaven. Make in advance and bake when ready to serve. The key is to allow time to really caramelise the onions and to buy good jarred beans (not tinned) – I use Bold Bean Co. – they make the dish.

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Warm the oil and melt the butter in a medium-sized sauce pan. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper, and add the sugar. Cook for a few minutes allowing to gently brown (not burn) on the edges. Keep stirring from time to time. Add a little water, evaporate it off and keep softening. 

2. Meanwhile gently steam the broccoli.

3. Add the thyme to the onions.   When they are golden and melty, add a little splash of the vinegar and allow to evaporate.  

4. Tip in the beans with their liquid and add the stock. You want it soft, but not liquid. Add the broccoli. Season to taste and bring to the boil for a minute.

5. Pour into a gratin dish ,then sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top, followed by the breadcrumb mix. You can now leave it until ready to cook it.  

6. When ready to cook, put in a 180°C oven until golden and bubbling. This will be about 10 minutes if cooking immediately and 20 mins from chilled. 

*Serves 2-3 as a main, 4-6 as a side dish

Charlotte Butterworth aka @theneedy.greedy is a private caterer, cookery teacher and recipe creator. Having trained as a cordon bleu cook, she has now developed her own signature style of using lots of vegetables, big flavours and love of Mediterranean style cooking.  She runs cookery workshops and teaches individuals in her kitchen, helping people rediscover their culinary mojo with new ideas for delicious, healthy and easy meals for everyday and entertaining. Charlotte creates fabulous food for everything from intimate dinners and family celebrations to drinks parties and corporate events. Find her on Instagram and Facebook sharing her delicious recipes as @theneedy.greedy or contact her by email at charlotte@butterworth.co.uk for more information about catering or teaching.