Creativity, passion and a Bonfire Night theme was the inspiration behind a winning dish made by pupils at St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School in Corsham.

Their Bonfire Night Bangers ‘n’ Beans beat hundreds of recipes from schools around the country to win the Sainsbury’s Active Kids Superstar Cooks competition.

The contest was launched by Sainsbury’s last September when practical cookery became compulsory for children up to Year 9 in primary and secondary schools.

Pupils were asked what their favourite foods were. Sausage and mash or chips were popular choices, so teaching assistant Teresa Lynch used the youngsters’ suggestions to make the dish more healthy and inspiring.

Following the Government’s Eatwell Plate criteria, pupils researched the health benefits of certain foods.

Mrs Lynch, who entered the school into the competition, said: “Red onions changed to white because they contained more antioxidants.

“They learnt about the value of sweet potatoes having low GI [glycaemic index] and a slow sugar release.”

The three pupils who were chosen to take part – Joe Rudland, 11, Lilli Gibbings, 10 and Aisling Massaccesi, nine – also cooked the dish at home and for staff at the school so they could get feedback and suggestions on how to improve the meal.

The live cook-off in London was judged by Diversity star Ashley Banjo, nutritionist Emma Schneider and Tara Hewitt, Sainsbury’s Active Kids campaign manager.

The school’s prizes include £10,000-worth of kitchen equipment and a dance class with Mr Banjo.

Bonfire Night Bangers 'n' Beans, serves 6.

 6 good quality sausages.
 1/3 of a 225g Spanish chorizo ring.
 1 can chopped tomatoes.
 2 cans cannellini beans in water, drained.
 2-3 peppers.
 1 red onion, chopped.
 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed.
 250ml low salt chicken stock.
 2-3 sweet potatoes, skin on.
 1 tbsp chopped thyme.
 1 tbsp chopped parsley.
 1 tsp smoked paprika.
 low fat natural yoghurt.
 1 tbsp olive oil, sea salt.
Method -
 Preheat oven to 180C
 Dry fry sausages until browned. Remove from pan.
 Chop peppers and onion into bite-size pieces and crush garlic. Cut sweet potatoes into wedges. Slice the chorizo ring.
 Add onion and fry for five minutes. Add peppers and cook for five-10 minutes. Add the garlic and chorizo, cook for five minutes. Add thyme.
 Cut sausages into bite-size pieces, add to pan and stir in.  Add the tomatoes and stock.
 Put in casserole dish and oven cook for 15 mins or leave to simmer on stove with lid on.
 Coat potato wedges with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Cook in top of oven until crisp (approx 20 minutes).
 Add cannellini beans to sausage mix after 15 minutes and cook for a further five-10 minutes. Serve in bowls sprinkled with parsley, with potato wedges and a bowl of yoghurt sprinkled with smoked paprika.