Sausage Skillet
intro
A flavorful one-pan weeknight meal loaded with seared sausage, tender veggies, and savory seasoning, requiring minimal cleanup and bold, cozy comfort flavor.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep all ingredients
Wash and chop all produce first: cube Yukon gold potatoes into uniform ½-inch pieces, dice yellow onion into 1-inch chunks, slice bell peppers into 1-inch pieces, mince garlic, and slice smoked sausage into ½-inch thick rounds. Measure out all spices, olive oil, and chicken broth and set within easy reach to streamline cooking.
Par-cook potato cubes
Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil in the 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat (350°F / 175°C). Add cubed potatoes in a tight single layer, season with ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) of kosher salt, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for 8 minutes total, flipping once with a spatula at the 4-minute mark, until potatoes are golden on cut sides and just tender when pierced with a fork. Transfer par-cooked potatoes to a clean plate and set aside.
Sear sausage slices
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil to the same skillet, and increase heat to medium-high (400°F / 205°C). Arrange sliced sausage rounds in a single layer, cooking in two batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the pan, and cook for 2 minutes per side until deeply browned and crisp at the edges, with rendered fat pooling in the pan. Transfer seared sausage to the plate with the par-cooked potatoes.
Sauté aromatic veggies
Reduce stovetop heat back to medium (350°F / 175°C). Add diced onion and bell pepper chunks to the rendered sausage fat in the skillet, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened with slightly charred, blistered edges. Add minced garlic, smoked paprika, garlic powder, remaining ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) kosher salt, and ground black pepper, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until spices release a warm, fragrant aroma.
Combine and finish cooking
Return the par-cooked potatoes and seared sausage to the skillet with the sautéed vegetables. Pour in the 60 ml (¼ cup) low-sodium chicken broth, stir thoroughly to coat every ingredient in the spice mixture, and use a spatula to scrape up all browned, flavorful bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low (325°F / 160°C), cover with the lid, and simmer for 3 minutes to let flavors meld and potatoes cook fully tender.
Rest and serve dish
Turn off the stovetop heat, remove the skillet lid, and let the dish rest for 2 minutes to allow excess residual liquid to evaporate. Taste a small bite and adjust salt or pepper if needed, then serve directly from the skillet, topped with optional chopped fresh parsley for a pop of color if desired.
Tips
2.Avoid overcrowding the pan when searing sausage: if slices are stacked or touching too closely, they will steam instead of developing a crispy, deeply flavored brown crust. Cook in two small batches if you do not have a 12-inch skillet.
3.The browned bits (called fond) stuck to the bottom of the pan after searing sausage and veggies hold concentrated savory flavor—be sure to scrape all of them up when you add the chicken broth to incorporate that depth into the final dish.
OMG this was such a game changer for our busy weeknight family dinner! I only had 30 minutes to get food on the table between soccer practice and homework time, and this came together in 25 minutes flat like the recipe said. Used spicy Italian sausage, tossed in some extra bell peppers from my garden, and my two picky kids went back for seconds! Zero cleanup because it’s one pan? *Chef’s kiss* SO good.
I make a big batch of this every Sunday for my weekday meal prep! It holds up so well in the fridge all week, doesn’t get soggy at all. I swapped regular potatoes for sweet potato cubes and added a sprinkle of paprika, and it’s chef’s kiss. Perfect for anyone who hates doing a mountain of dishes after cooking.
Really solid weeknight meal! Only knock is I wish there was a little more seasoning suggested in the base recipe – I added some garlic powder and red pepper flakes halfway through and it perked right up. Cook time was totally accurate, one pan cleanup saved me after a long day at the office. Will make again, just with extra seasonings next time.
Brought this to our neighborhood block party potluck last weekend and people were begging me for the recipe! I doubled the batch, used a mix of smoked and apple sausage, and threw in some zucchini chunks to bulk it up. The entire pan was empty in 15 minutes, no lie. Even the teens who only eat chips and hot dogs were raving about it.
Wait, quick question – my sausage came out a little more done than I wanted, and the veggies were still a tiny bit crisp? Did I cut my potato chunks too big? This was my first time ever making a skillet meal so I’m definitely new at this, but the flavor was still amazing even with the texture off.
As someone who’s gluten free and always hunting for easy weeknight meals that don’t require fancy specialty ingredients, this is a new staple! No weird hidden gluten, totally customizable, and my husband who swears he ‘hates gluten free food’ had three servings last night. 10/10, will be in our regular rotation.
Made this in my tiny dorm kitchen with just a single electric burner and a cheap skillet I got from the dollar store, and it still slapped. Used the cheapest smoked sausage they had at the campus market, frozen mixed veggies instead of fresh, and it still tasted like a real home cooked meal. No fancy equipment needed, 10/10 for broke college kids.
This was the perfect centerpiece for our casual Sunday supper last night! I served it with a side of buttermilk biscuits, and it was such a cozy, filling meal after a long weekend of hiking. The whole house smelled amazing while it was cooking, too.
Keto king over here, and this fits my macros perfectly! I skipped the regular white potatoes, used cauliflower florets instead, added some extra cheddar on top the last two minutes of cooking, and it was absolute fire. No carbs, all the flavor, barely any cleanup. Will be making this at least twice a month.
It was fine? I used vegan sausage to make it plant-based, and it was okay, but nothing super memorable. Maybe I just prefer more veggie-heavy skillets, this felt a little heavy on the meat for my taste. Cook time was accurate, cleanup was easy, just not my personal vibe. Might try it again with more mushrooms and kale next time.
I am NOT a good cook, y’all. I burn 90% of the things I try to make, so I was fully expecting to mess this up somehow. But the instructions were so straightforward, nothing burned, everything was cooked perfectly, and my roommate said it was the best thing I’ve ever made. I feel like a real adult now, lmao.
Threw this together last minute when my son brought three of his friends home after football practice unexpectedly. I had a pack of bratwurst in the fridge, some frozen hash browns, a random onion, and a bell pepper, tossed it all in the pan, and those teenage boys ate every last bite. Saved me from having to order three large pizzas, which would’ve cost a fortune. Absolute lifesaver.