Sluttishly Savoury: Chorizo, Sweet Potato & Halloumi Bake

It's been, oh, about ten minutes since I posted a chorizo recipe, so I thought it was time I rectified that. Chorizo is one of my all-time favourite foods. It's comforting and hearty during the winter months, and fresh and flavoursome - conjuring up memories of holidays and beaches - in spring and summer. Sometimes I have to stop myself putting it in everything (puddings are the exception, although I can think of some that would benefit from a slice or two of chorizo).

I didn't need to give myself a good talking to when it came to this recipe, however. Chorizo is great mates with sweet potato and halloumi (another of my favourite things - so squeaky and salty!). The more chorizo, the merrier, as far as I'm concerned - so I used a whole ring of it. This is a breathtakingly easy recipe - a little chopping, then into the oven and ta-da - filling, wholesome food to satisfy your hunger on these long, cold nights (and you might get flashes of sunny Spain while you eat. Especially if you wash everything down with a nice Rioja).

Chorizo, Sweet Potato & Halloumi Bake (serves 4)
You will need:

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 5cm pieces
• 1 red onion, peeled and cut into rough chunks
• 2 red peppers, roughly chopped
• 1 head of garlic, each clove peeled but left intact
• Olive oil
• 225g (1 ring) chorizo, skin removed and cut into 1cm discs
• 150g halloumi, finely sliced

Make it!

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
2. Put the sweet potato, red onion, peppers, garlic, and olive oil into a large ovenproof dish and use your hands to coat everything in oil. Add the discs of chorizo in a layer on top. Place in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, mixing the chorizo through the dish after about 25 minutes (it should be looking slightly crispy by this time - that's why we leave it on top for a bit before jumbling it all up).
3. After the cooking time is up - the sweet potato should be nice and soft by now, and the other veg should look, well, cooked, with slight charring to some of the edges - add the finely-sliced halloumi to the top of the dish. Turn the oven heat right up - as far as it will go, unless you have some sort of bonkers oven that can incinerate stuff, in which case, use your discretion. Pop the dish back in for about 5-10 minutes, until the halloumi has melted and turned goldenish. Alternatively, turn the grill up to high and stick it under there for a while (mine's broken, oh woe is me).
4. Serve immediately, with some crusty bread on the side if you want.