Slow cooker sausage and potatoes is a dump-and-go dinner in the truest sense. Smoky sausage and baby potatoes are piled into one pot and left to cook in a rich garlic butter sauce while you go about your day. You come home to a meal that smells like you actually spent the afternoon on it.
I love meals like this, where I load up the slow cooker, mostly forget about it, and let it do all the work. And this easy meal is one pot from start to finish. The potatoes soak up the sausage drippings as everything cooks, so it all tastes as if it belongs together.
Best of all, there are no fussy steps, like browning the sausage or par-boiling the potatoes. You can give it a quick stir halfway through if you’re home and happen to walk past it, but it’s completely fine if you don’t.
And if you’ve ever worried that slow cooker potatoes turn out mushy or half-raw in the middle, don’t be. Using baby potatoes means they come out fork-tender every time.
Below you’ll find the full ingredient list, step-by-step instructions, and a few easy swaps. Finished with freshly melted parmesan cheese and parsley, this easy crockpot meal makes the perfect cozy dinner.
Looking for more slow cooker recipe ideas? Try slow cooker chicken and broccoli bake, slow cooker chicken tikka masala, or slow cooker white chicken chili.
Ingredient Notes
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
- Smoked sausage: I typically use regular smoked sausage, but kielbasa works just as well. Turkey sausage is a solid swap that still delivers on flavor.
- Baby potatoes
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Seasonings: Season the dish with salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning.
- Shredded parmesan cheese
- Parsley
How to Make Slow Cooker Sausage and Potatoes
- Spray your crockpot with nonstick cooking spray so nothing sticks to the bottom. Slice the sausage into rounds about ½ inch thick and slice the baby potatoes in half. Add both to the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and sausage in the slow cooker. Stir so everything is well coated.
- Put the lid on your slow cooker and set it to low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. If you’re home and remember, stir everything once at the halfway point.
- About 15 minutes before you’re ready to eat, sprinkle the shredded parmesan cheese over the top. Put the lid back on and let it melt into a gooey, cheesy layer.
- Finish with fresh parsley and serve.
Serving Ideas
When I make this for my family on a busy weeknight, I usually scoop it into bowls, add a quick green salad on the side, and call it dinner. Here are some other serving ideas:
- Alongside crusty bread. Perfect for mopping up that garlic butter sauce at the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Over steamed rice. If you’re feeding a crowd, stretching this dish with a starch on the side makes it go further.
- As part of a potluck spread. This recipe holds well in the crockpot on warm, which makes it a great choice for parties, potlucks, or when you need something to bring to a family get-together.
If you want to switch things up, you can broil it quickly before serving. After the slow cooker does its thing, spread everything on a baking sheet and broil it for 3 to 5 minutes. You get little crispy edges on the potatoes and sausage that you can’t get from the crockpot alone.
How to Store
This dish reheats well, which makes it a solid choice for meal prepping or just having a backup dinner ready to go for a night when cooking feels like too much. It’ll keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
When you’re ready to eat, reheat individual portions in the microwave, or warm everything back up in a skillet over medium heat if you want a crispy texture on the sausage.
Tips & Tricks
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
- Go for baby potatoes every time. Baby potatoes hold their shape beautifully during those long hours in the slow cooker.
- I know it’s tempting to grab the pre-shredded Parmesan in the green can, but freshly shredded Parmesan makes a real difference. It melts into a cream.
- For crispy edges, spread the cooked potatoes and sausage on a baking sheet and put them under the broiler for 3-5 minutes. Watch them closely, because they go from golden to burnt fast.
- Smoked sausage, kielbasa, turkey sausage, and chicken sausage all work great in this recipe. Just make sure whatever you use is fully cooked.
- If you want to bulk this up or add more nutrients, toss in some diced onions or sliced bell peppers with the potatoes.
- I used an 8-quart slow cooker for this recipe, which gives everything plenty of room. If you’re using a smaller one, you might want to halve the recipe or the ingredients will be too crowded and won’t cook evenly.
Reader Questions
Yes! If you’re short on time, cook on high for 3-4 hours instead of low for 5-6 hours.
The smoked sausage in this recipe is already fully cooked. Don’t use raw sausage unless you brown it first. I tried that once, and the texture was weird and greasy.
You can easily prep everything the night before. Slice the sausage, halve the potatoes, and mix up the garlic butter in a bowl. Store everything in the fridge separately, then dump it all in the slow cooker in the morning.
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Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Potatoes & Sausage
Ingredients
- 24 ounces smoked sausage sliced
- 2 pounds baby potatoes halved
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley for topping
Instructions
- Spray a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Add the potatoes and sliced sausage to the slow cooker.2 pounds baby potatoes, 24 ounces smoked sausage
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning.4 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 5 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Pour the mixture over the potatoes and sausage. Stir until coated. Place the lid on and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours, stirring once halfway through if possible.
- Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over top during the last 15 minutes of cooking and place the lid back on until melted.1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
- Sprinkle parsley over top before serving.Fresh parsley
Notes
- Go for baby potatoes every time. Baby potatoes hold their shape beautifully during those long hours in the slow cooker.
- I know it’s tempting to grab the pre-shredded Parmesan in the green can, but freshly shredded Parmesan makes a real difference. It melts into a cream.
- For crispy edges, spread the cooked potatoes and sausage on a baking sheet and put them under the broiler for 3-5 minutes. Watch them closely, because they go from golden to burnt fast.
- Smoked sausage, kielbasa, turkey sausage, and chicken sausage all work great in this recipe. Just make sure whatever you use is fully cooked.
- If you want to bulk this up or add more nutrients, toss in some diced onions or sliced bell peppers with the potatoes.
- I used an 8-quart slow cooker for this recipe, which gives everything plenty of room. If you’re using a smaller one, you might want to halve the recipe or the ingredients will be too crowded and won’t cook evenly.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
