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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!

Stack of plates with pieces of sausage sticking out of potato casserole with a fork

If you enjoy this recipe you make like our Ground Beef and Hashbrown Casserole with a different protein.

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. 

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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. Just like our Velveeta Shells and Cheese it’s a very popular and versatile recipe!

Fork loaded with delicious bite of potato sausage casserole on a plate full of the same recipe

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
Onions, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, sliced sausage, frozen potatoes and shredded cheddar cheese in a black crock pot

Option For Cheesy Potatoes With Ranch

A fun way to put a twist on this recipe is to mix a packet of ranch seasoning into the sour cream to make Cheesy Ranch Potatoes and Sausage.

Or you can mix the ranch into the cream of chicken soup as well. Then stir into the rest of the casserole ingredients as instructed.

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. 

Mixing sausage, potatoes, cheese and other ingredients together in a large silver bowl

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.

Thin slices of Kielbasa and shredded cheddar cheese mixed up in hash brown potatoes in a black crock

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.

Partially cooked crock pot sausage and potato inside a liner on a wooden table

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.

Potato and sausage casserole with a large black serving spoon in a crock pot

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.

Spoonful of slow cooker sausage and potato casserole in a lined slow cooker

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. 

Potatoes, cheese and sausage mixed and cooked together for a delicious casserole on a plate

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. 

Slices of sausage covered in cheese on top of slow cooker potato casserole

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:

Close up half circle of Kielbasa and potatoes on a fork on a plate full of the cheese covered casserole

Cheesy Sausage and Potato Casserole

Servings 10 servings
Author: Jennifer
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!
5 from 8 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 30 ounces frozen hash browns
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup white onion diced
  • 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 pound Kielbasa or smoked sausage thinly sliced and cut into half circles
  • 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese divided

Instructions
 

  • Slightly soften hash browns and pour into a large mixing bowl.
    30 ounces frozen hash browns
  • Add 2 cups of cheddar cheese and remaining ingredients to the potatoes. Mix thoroughly.
    1 cup sour cream, 1 cup white onion, 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup, 1 teaspoon pepper, 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, 1 pound Kielbasa or smoked sausage
  • Pour into a lined or well greased 5 quart crock pot or larger. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
  • Using a long handled spoon stir casserole. Sprinkle remaining cup of cheese on top and cover. Cook for another 30 minutes to an hour until the potatoes are tender.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 424kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 17gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 842mgPotassium: 424mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 539IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 283mgIron: 2mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

“Plowing Through Life” is not a dietitian or nutrition professional. Any nutritional information shared is an estimate and can vary greatly depending on specific products are used. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator of your choice.

Tried this recipe?Mention @PlowingThroughLife or tag #PlowingThroughLife!

11 Comments

  1. Jacob Jones says:

    5 stars
    I thought it was very good and the smoked sausage makes it taste a little salty and its very good.

  2. 5 stars
    My family really enjoyed it. We served it with a salad to get do m e vegatables. I might try adding corn and maybe cornflakes on top to give it some crunch, and make it a more complete meal. It was very good the way it was though.

  3. 5 stars
    Love this. Was like funeral potatoes with susage. Leftovers were awsome

  4. Can you use yellow onion instead?

    1. Jennifer @ Plowing Through Life says:

      Yes! That should work fine. Hope you enjoy the recipe ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Matthew Marshall says:

    5 stars
    I changed it up a bit. I used Turkey kielbasa since I donโ€™t eat pork and instead of the shredded hash brown potatoes I used the diced ones for more body. I added broccoli too because it definitely needs a vegetable. Then I seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and some smoked paprika! Baked in the oven at 375 for about 45 mins then sprinkled the remaining cheese on top and sprinkled with a little more smoked paprika and baked for an additional 15 mins. The end result was Uh-Mazing!

    1. 5 stars
      So you basically didn’t make this recipe. A tweak here and there is one thing but you didn’t use the same sausage, you didn’t use the same potatoes, you added broccoli as well as many seasonings that weren’t in it. At this point you made an entirely different recipe so not sure why you are even rating this one.

  6. Shelley B says:

    5 stars
    My family loves it. I used tater tots and broke them up a little bit instead of hash browns because I didnโ€™t have hash browns. I also used dried minced onion because there is a three year old in the house that wonโ€™t eat it if he bites into a piece of onion. Itโ€™s a very tasty recipe. Iโ€™ve made three times in two weeks since I found it

    1. Jennifer @ Plowing Through Life says:

      Thanks so much for sharing this! So glad you all enjoy as much as we do ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. 5 stars
    I Veganised this and my family loved it. Vegan cream of chicken soup, vegan sausage, vegan cheeses, and vegan sour cream. I also used green beans. Will make this again to use up extra potatoes! Great idea. Itโ€™s a lot like scalloped potatoes with extras.

  8. 5 stars
    Used tater tots instead. Eyeballed the amount. Everything else as directed. BF loved it. Green beans with butter and bacon for the side. This is a keeper

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