Take some flavorful smoked sausage, a bunch of potatoes, a generous helping of thinly sliced onions and cook them all down till the potatoes are on the verge of crumbling and the onions practically disappear. Add a few peas for color and you’ve got smothered potatoes and sausage, one of the easiest skillet meals your whole family will love.
Smothered Potatoes and Sausage – Photos by Stacy Rushton
When I was growing up, this dish made an appearance on our family dinner table with great regularity. It was so easy that my sister and I could even make it on our own. When our mother went back to work, the two of us took turns cooking dinner each night. I’m not talking gourmet meals. We ate a lot of Hamburger Helper. And Tuna Helper. We were pretty good at spaghetti sauce too and even learned how to smother round steak with onions. But smothered potatoes and sausage was my personal favorite.
We used either red potatoes, which didn’t need peeling or larger potatoes that did. Either way, the best part was smashing the potatoes into flavorful juices at the bottom of the pan and trying to make sure the bites of sausage came out even with the bites of potato in my bowl. So good!
Of course, when I had a family of my own, I continued making this great dish but I started adding the peas for color. And because we love peas. Did you know that the average British person only eats about 9,000 peas per year? No idea how many the average American eats but we figure it’s far below the British average. We have made it a personal family goal to try and up the numbers, throwing peas in everything from pasta carbonara to beef stew. I suggest you do the same.
Smothered Potatoes and Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 lb 8 oz or 675g smoked sausage cut in short lengths
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 2.2 lbs or 1 kg potatoes whole small ones or peeled, quartered larger ones
- 2 cups onions finely sliced
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Fresh ground black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- 2/3 cup or 100g frozen garden peas We like the little ones called petits pois.
Instructions
- Put your sausage pieces with a good drizzle of olive oil in a skillet large enough to eventually hold all of your ingredients. You will need a skillet with a good fitting lid.
- Heat over a medium flame and cook for a few minutes until the sausage starts to brown and caramelize.
- Add in the potatoes with a cup or 240ml water. Stir to mix any tasty sticky bits from the pot into the water.
- Pile the sliced onions on the top and close the lid. Turn the flame down to medium low and cook for about 40-45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Check from time to time and add more water, if necessary. If you are using peeled cut potatoes, they will probably take a shorter time to cook and will need more water, as they soak up what's in there.
- When the potatoes are tender, add in the peas. Cover and cook for a few more minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper but keep in mind that smoked sausage can be salty so do check before just adding both.
Nutrition
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yummysmells says
Don’t think you can go wrong with ANYTHING here – it looks hearty and perfect for the cooler months too
Liz Berg says
I can only imagine how wonderful these potatoes taste soaking up all the delicious sausage juices! What a yummy skillet meal!!