Delicious Cheesy Potato & Smoked Sausage Casserole
If serious comfort food is on your mind, this Cheesy Potato & Smoked Sausage Casserole is a deliciously satisfying and indulgent one-dish meal.
This casserole is all about comforting and rich flavors. It brings together a great combination of juicy Italian sausage and tender, creamy diced potatoes.
It’s baked to perfection in a flavorful cream sauce that infuses every bite.
What really makes this dish such a big hit is that it has the most incredible blend of flavors and textures.
The sausage adds a savory kick, while the creamy soup and milk mixture soaks into the soft chunks of potatoes.
As it bakes, the cheese on top becomes beautifully melted and gooey, creating another layer of goodness.
The result is a warm and comforting meal all in one dish. Love one pan meals? You must try this One Pan Meatball Casserole and these Oven Baked Greek Chicken Thighs. So good!
Serve a hearty portion with a warm slice of this easy overnight cheddar bread or this rosemary garlic bread.
Why We Love this Recipe
We’re talking about a super easy smoked sausage, cheese, and potato casserole recipe. With very little prep work and one hour of baking time later, dinner is served. It’s a great recipe for busy weeknights.
One more time. We’ve got cheese. We’ve got potatoes. We’ve got smoked sausage. That’s a lot of deliciousness going on! This is the kind of dish the whole family will love.
But don’t take my word for it. Take this delicious casserole to your next potluck or gathering and watch it disappear!
What You Need to Make It
- Italian smoked sausage
- Yukon gold potatoes (peeled and diced into cubes)
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
- Cream of chicken soup
- Milk
- Cheddar cheese, grated
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable grocery list and full instructions for this cheesy potato & smoked sausage casserole recipe.
Variations & Substitutions
Cheese: We used white cheddar, but you can use sharp cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or a combination of any of your favorite melty cheeses.
You’ll want to avoid highly processed or super soft cheese like Velveeta cheese.
Sausage: Italian or spicy Italian sausage works great, but you can also use chorizo, bratwurst, andouille, kielbasa, chicken, or turkey sausage.
If you want to get a crisp on the sausage, feel free to cook it in a frying pan, whole or cut up. Use a little olive oil so it doesn’t stick.
Potatoes: You want potatoes that have a creamy texture when cooked. If you don’t have Yukon gold, you can use russet potatoes.
If you use small red potatoes, you do not have to peel them. You could even use hash browns.
Sauce: Swap out the soup for cream of mushroom or cream of celery.
You can also add fresh herbs to the sauce, such as chives, thyme, or rosemary.
Try adding sour cream as it would be a wonderful addition to this cheesy potato & smoked sausage casserole recipe.
How to Make Cheesy Potato & Smoked Sausage Casserole
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C. You’re going to bake the sausage and the potatoes at the same time, but in different pans.
Step 2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the whole sausages to a baking pan and set aside. You’ll be baking the sausage alongside the potatoes in the next step.
Step 3. In a separate 9×13-inch casserole dish, add the diced potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix the canned soup with milk and pour on top, and give it a gentle toss with a wooden spoon.
Step 4. Bake the sausages and the potatoes (in separate dishes) in the oven for 20 minutes. Set aside.
Step 5. Remove the sausages from the baking dish. With the help of tongs and a sharp knife, cut the sausages into ½ inch bite-sized pieces.
Step 6. Add the sausage to the casserole dish with the creamy potatoes and stir with the wooden spoon.
Step 7. Bake this combined dish of sausage and potatoes for 20 minutes.
Step 8. Add cheese on top, then cook for a final 20 minutes until the cheese melts. (Optionally, you can sprinkle paprika on top to make the cheese extra golden brown.)
Optionally, you can broil for a minute or two to brown the top.
Step 9. Remove and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley, and serve.
Double the batch so you have one in the freezer for the next time you need a quick meal.
Why not serve this Chocolate Explosion Cake for dessert?
Recipe FAQs
This meat and potatoes casserole would be awesome with the addition of green beans or broccoli florets.
Absolutely. Allow the casserole to cool to room temperature and transfer it to an airtight container. Label and date the container. Store in the fridge for up to 3–4 months.
You can assemble the casserole the night before. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap or foil and stick it in the fridge. Then, just bake it when you’re ready. Because it’s starting out cold, you will need to add a little more baking time.
Top Tips
- Precook the sausage: Sausage needs to be cooked until it reaches an internal temperature of at least 160°F with an instant-read meat thermometer. This helps render some of the fat that you don’t want in the casserole.
- Dice the potatoes evenly: To ensure you don’t end up with undercooked or overcooked potatoes, try to cut them into unformed-sized chunks.
- Tent with foil: You’ll want to bake this dish until the potatoes are soft and tender. If the cheese begins to brown too quickly, loosely tent it with foil.
- Let it rest: After baking, let the casserole rest for a few minutes before serving. This helps the flavors come together, plus it makes it easier to cut and serve.
More Sausage Recipes
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Cheesy Potato and Smoked Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage 453 g
- 3 large size yukon potatoes peeled and diced, or 4 medium size potatoes. 1.76 lb | 800 g
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 can cream of chicken soup 8.46 oz | 240 g
- 1 cup milk 8.45 fl.oz | 250 ml
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese 16.57 oz | 470 g
- Chopped parsley optional for garnish
- paprika (not smoked) optional to help cheese brown on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C. You're going to bake the sausage and the potatoes at the same time, but in different pans.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the whole sausages to the baking pan and set aside. You'll be baking the sausage alongside the potatoes in the next step.
- In a separate 9×13-inch casserole dish, add the diced potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, mix the canned soup with milk and pour on top, and give it a gentle toss with a wooden spoon.
- Bake the sausages and the potatoes (in separate dishes) in the oven for 20 minutes. Set aside.
- Remove the sausages from the baking dish. With the help of tongs and a sharp knife, cut the sausages into ½ inch bite-sized pieces.
- Add the sausage to the casserole dish with the creamy potatoes and stir with the wooden spoon.
- Bake this combined dish of sausage and potatoes for 20 minutes.
- Add cheese on top, then cook for a final 20 minutes until the cheese melts. (Optionally, you can sprinkle paprika on top to make the cheese extra golden brown.) You can also broil for a minute or two to brown the top.
- Remove, allow to rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.
