Slow Cooker Sausage and Potatoes
Here’s an easy 5-ingredient dinner that can be prepped and cooked in the slow cooker in just a few hours! Slow Cooker Sausage and Potatoes is a warm and toasty main dish that pairs with many comfort-style sides. Add the ingredients for this easy meal to your shopping list and enjoy a simple, flavorful meal requiring minimal steps from prep to mealtime!
Ingredients Needed
You are 5 ingredients away from a simple, tasty entreé that can be paired with lots of different sides.
The ingredients are:
- Sausage – Look for an andouille-style chicken sausage and slice the links about ½ inch thick. Andouille is a type of sausage often seen in French and Cajun cooking. It contains coarser, chopped mixed ingredients instead of ingredients all minced together.
- Potatoes – I used baby potatoes, but you can use any waxy potato variety as they have less starch and will hold their shape well in the slow cooker (e.g. red potatoes, fingerling potatoes, yellow potatoes, etc.). You will need about 10 baby potatoes or approximately 2 cups of sliced potatoes – the amount does not need to be exact.
- Cajun seasoning – A Cajun seasoning blend typically uses a complex combination of peppers and paprika. You can also find variations of Cajun seasoning that are more smoky or spicy.
- Olive oil and butter– These will coat the sausage and potatoes with a savory glaze and seal in flavors by lightly crisping the edges.
- Optional: If you wish, you can garnish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley after cooking.
How To Make Sausage and Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
This prep just might be 5 minutes – tops! Slice the sausage into ½-inch thick pieces and slice the baby potatoes in half.
Next, toss all the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on high for 2-3 hours and low for 4-6 hours.
After cooking, lightly stir the sausage and potatoes to ensure that all pieces are evenly coated in melted butter, oil, and Cajun seasoning.
As an optional step, top off the meal with a sprinkle of chopped parsley. Serve with your favorite sides!
What To Serve With Sausage and Potatoes
Slow Cooker Sausage and Potatoes is a great base to serve with many different side dishes. Think of typical Southern comfort food or Cajun sides to assemble a complete meal.
While your sausage and potatoes are cooking, you can prep other veggies like Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic or another slow cooker dish like Cheesy Corn Casserole. You can never go wrong with a homemade mac and cheese option, either!
Buttered bread or cornbread would also be delicious served on the side. And lastly, offer a tangy fresh salad or coleslaw for a crunchy element.
Leftover Instructions
Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. This would be a great option for lunch leftovers along with a few extra veggies like broccoli or peppers. You can reheat in the microwave or under the broiler for a few minutes in the oven if you’d like to crisp up the edges again.
I do not suggest storing leftovers in the freezer since the potatoes will change texture when defrosting and reheating.
Sausage and Potato FAQs
- Can I use a different type of potato? Use a waxy potato variety which will contain less starch and won’t crumble after extended cooking. Waxy potato options are baby potatoes, red potatoes, fingerling potatoes, and more.
- Can I add vegetables to this recipe? For veggies, you could add any color of bell peppers or onions chopped in similar sizes.
- Can I make this dish spicy? You can look for different sausage versions that will make this recipe even spicier. You can also add red pepper flakes or a bit of cayenne pepper along with the Cajun seasoning.
- Can I prepare this recipe in advance? This recipe would not work well for advance meal prep because the potatoes would discolor prior to cooking. However, the leftovers will keep well!
Recipe Variations
I love easy slow cooker meals with few ingredients because you can typically make several substitutions based on your preferences or what you already have on hand in your kitchen! Here are a few variations to try:
- There are several options for sausage varieties. A mild turkey or chicken breakfast sausage would make this less spicy and give a slightly different flavor. While many andouille sausages are made from pork, I suggest using chicken or turkey since the pork variety can become too greasy.
- You can also look for a smoky sausage or sausage with other ingredients like roasted red peppers, jalapeños, and onions.
- For seasoning swaps, you could use an Italian dressing seasoning (try my version here!) or herb and garlic seasoning instead of the Cajun seasoning. Try a mixed combination of half of each seasoning blend to make it less spicy.
- There are many potato varieties that you can use. Keep in mind that russet potatoes would NOT be a good option due to the high starch content.
Slow Cooker Sausage and Potatoes
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 12 oz Andouille Style Chicken Sausage sliced 1/2" thick
- 10 oz baby potatoes halved
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Slice sausage and potatoes
- Toss all ingredients in slow cooker
- Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours
Notes
- Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing due to textural changes that will occur with the potatoes.
- Reheat in the microwave or in the oven until warmed through.
- Optional: Garnish with finely chopped parsley
