Cheesy Sausage and Potato Casserole

This home style meal of Cheesy Sausage and Potato Casserole is an easy recipe that can be made in the crock pot or oven. 

Savory and Smoky Sausage or Kielbasa is mixed into satisfying potatoes with plenty of cheddar cheese to make an amazing family meal!

Sausage and Potato Casserole Recipe 

Thin sliced Kielbasa that’s cut in half circles is almost guaranteed to make every bite of potatoes meaty and delicious! Sharp cheddar cheese melds everything together to make this casserole irresistible. 

This one pot meal is fuss free and can be mixed up in ten minutes. Let it cook in the crock pot on low for 3 to 4 hours or bake in the oven for 45 minutes. 

Our family enjoys this comfort food recipe as a main dish, but it makes a great side dish for a potluck or big family meal at the holidays.

We discovered when making our Kielbasa and Noodles with Cabbage that smaller pieces of meat go further in dishes with a starch or noodle. Thin, small pieces of potato are the winning combo for the meat.

When smoked sausage is the star of the show like in our Kielbasa and Sauerkraut larger coins of meat work better. When there are a blend of more ingredients thin country style hash browns or small cubes of potatoes mix better with smaller pieces of meat. As part of a team the  ingredients need to be evenly matched in size for best results.

Ingredients Needed:

• Bag of frozen hash browns 
• Kielbasa or Smoked Sausage 
• Shredded cheddar cheese 
• Can of cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup 
• Sour cream
• Diced onion
• Pepper

How to Make Sausage and Potato Casserole

In a large mixing bowl add slightly softened frozen potatoes. Separate the pieces to make stirring easier.

Add sour cream, onion, cream of chicken soup, 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, sliced sausage and pepper. 

Stir everything together very well and pour into a lined crock or one that has greased with non-stick cooking spray. I use a 5 quart or larger crock pot.

Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. 

Remove lid and stir. Turn the sausage and potato mixture from the outside and bottom edges into the center. Push the center towards the edges to promote faster and more even cooking.

Sprinkle remaining cup of cheese on top. Cover sausage casserole and continue cooking on low for another 30 minutes to an hour until the potatoes are all tender.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Potatoes

When using the slow cooker I like to stir all of the ingredients including the sausage together. 

Some people have a strong preference to brown the Kielbasa and onions before mixing in the casserole. This is a personal preference that can enhance the flavor a bit but definitely takes more time. 

The base of this recipe is our Farmhouse Cheesy Potato Casserole. Meat replaces butter which is a source of fat and flavor in this version. The crushed cracker topping is also omitted in this variation.

Baked Sausage and Potato Casserole 

When baking this casserole I like to mix up the cheesy potato ingredients and pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Wait to add the slices of Smoked Sausage to the top towards the end of cooking. 

This method allows the sausage to brown a bit in the oven, but not too much. I typically bake the potato mixture for about 30 minutes. Next add a layer of sausage and cheese and bake another 15 to 20 until the cheese melts and the chunks of meat are lightly brown. 

For more exact details see our Smoked Sausage and Cheesy Potato Casserole recipe. 

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• We prefer hash browns over cubes of potatoes 
• Fresh potatoes work fine, but will take longer to cook than frozen hash browns that have set out to soften just a bit
• Ensure hashbrowns are broken apart into pieces the size of match sticks before stirring. Chunks of frozen food will be more difficult to mix and take longer to cook through 
• Stir a couple of times to help the casserole cook more evenly and to prevent pieces of sausage along the edges from burning
• Use a liner or grease crock well for easy clean-up
• I don’t typically add additional salt since the sausage is well seasoned, but salt may be added to taste if desired.
• If raw sausage like a breakfast sausage is used be sure to cook sausage first before stirring into the potato casserole.
• 1 cup of diced onion is the equivalent of one medium onion.

Can You Freeze This Casserole?

Leftover sausage and potato casserole freeze and reheat well as an uncooked mixture or in cooked individual servings.

When is the casserole done?

The casserole is ready to eat when the potatoes are tender. I use a digital meat thermometer that typically reads about 145 F or 150 F inserted in the center of the casserole when it is done and taters are tender. 

When using a crock pot I like to stir the meat and potato mixture once or twice. The edges tend to cook a bit more quickly than the center. 

I always start with precooked meat like smoked sausage. If beginning with raw meat the casserole may need a longer cooking time. 

More of our Favorite Recipes with Sausage and Potatoes:

Roasted Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts and Sausage mixes greens into a fabulous family meal.

Sausage Peppers, Onions and Potatoes Skillet is a great recipe to feed a few people. This is a great meal prep recipe.

Sheet Pan Meal with sausage, peppers, potatoes and onions is a low stress way to feed a bigger family in short amount of time. 

Sausage, Potatoes and Broccoli Skillet is ready in 30 minutes on the stove top in a large skillet. This recipe also makes great leftovers.

Printable Recipe for Sausage and Potato Casserole: