Dublin Coddle - Irish Sausage, Bacon, Onion and Potato Hotpot

"This traditional supper dish of sausages, bacon, onions and potatoes dates back at least as far as the early eighteenth century. It seems to be more of a city dish than a rural one: it was a favourite of Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels and dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. In Dublin itself, coddle retains its reputation as a dish that can be prepared ahead of time and left in a very slow oven while the people who're going to eat it have to be out of the house for a while - making it an excellent dish for very busy people! The name of the dish is probably descended from the older word caudle, derived from a French word meaning "to boil gently, parboil, or stew". The more recent version of the verb, "coddle," is still applied to gently cooked eggs, "Coddled Eggs". Please note, the sausages used should be the best quality 100% pork sausages you can get your hands on! This recipe would also work VERY well if cooked in a crock-pot, reduce the liquid by about half if cooking the coddle this way. Serve with Guinness and Irish soda bread. Although this is an easy to prepare one pot meal and its simplicity belies its amazing taste and flavour - comfort food at its best! Sláinte...."