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The perfect fall comfort food all made in the slow cooker. This simple Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes and Smoked Sausage is sure to please the family and a recipe you will want on these chilly fall days.
This Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes and Smoked Sausage has been a family favorite in our house for years. Frozen hash browns, sliced smoked sausage, and a creamy, cheesy sauce all go right into the crockpot, so there’s no browning or extra pans to wash. It’s like a cheesy hash brown casserole and dinner all in one, and it’s a big win for this mama on busy days.
Serve it as a hearty main dish with a simple salad or green beans, or bring it to your next potluck. It feeds a crowd and always gets scraped clean.
Ingredient Notes:
- Frozen Shredded Hash Browns – The base of the dish; they turn tender and soak up the creamy sauce as they cook. Southern-style diced hash browns work too. If you use homemade hash browns, they may need extra cook time.
- Frozen Minced Onions – I know 2 tablespoons doesn’t seem like much, but it really adds to the flavor. You can use fresh diced onion, or swap in onion powder, starting with ½ teaspoon and adding more to taste.
- Sour Cream – Makes the sauce rich and creamy with a little tang.
- Cream of Chicken Soup – Creates the savory, creamy base that holds everything together. Cream of mushroom or cream of celery also work.
- Butter – Adds richness. I use unsalted and melt it first so it mixes in evenly.
- Salt – Start with ½ teaspoon and adjust to taste, since the sausage, soup, and cheese are already salty.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese – Some gets mixed in, and the rest melts on top at the end for that cheesy finish.
- Smoked Sausage – I use a precooked smoked sausage rope sliced into bite-size pieces. Kielbasa or turkey sausage works too. If your sausage is raw, cook it first.
Dump: Add the frozen hash browns, minced onions, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, melted butter, salt, 2 cups of the shredded cheddar, and sliced smoked sausage to your slow cooker.
Save the remaining 1 cup of cheese for the top.
Recipe Tip
Want easier cleanup? Lightly grease your slow cooker with nonstick spray or use a slow cooker liner before adding the ingredients. It helps keep the cheese from sticking to the sides.
Mix: Stir everything together until the hash browns and sausage are evenly coated in the creamy sauce.
Cook: Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is bubbly.
Serve: Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top, cover, and cook for 20 more minutes until melted.
Give it a gentle scoop from the bottom and serve warm.
Cooking Tip:
- Slice the sausage evenly. Bite-size pieces about ¼ inch thick heat through evenly and fit on every forkful.
- Keep the lid on. Every peek lets heat escape and adds to the cook time.
- Stir from the bottom before serving. The creamiest sauce settles at the bottom, so a gentle scoop mixes it back through.
- Hold it on warm. For potlucks or parties, switch the slow cooker to Warm after the cheese melts so it stays ready to serve.
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Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes and Smoked Sausage
Ingredients
- 32 oz Frozen Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes
- 2 tablespoons Frozen Minced Onions
- 2 cups Sour Cream
- 10.5 oz Cream of Chicken Soup
- 4 tablespoons Butter , (unsalted and melted)
- 1/2 teaspoons Salt, (or to taste)
- 3 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese, (divided)
- 14 oz Smoked Sausage , (sliced)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except for 1 cup of cheese into your slow cooker and mix together well then place the lid on.
- Cook on low for 4 hours. Top with remaining cheese and place the lid back on then allow to cook for 20 more minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
I accidentally bought regular frozen hashbrowns instead of shredded. Will these still work for the recipe? They say southern style on the bag.
Yes, southern-style hash browns will work for this recipe.
What is a serving size?
About 1 cup.