This slow cooker 4-ingredient Amish sausage and potatoes dish is the kind of hearty, no-fuss supper my uncle swore by during long weeks on the farm. It comes straight out of the plain country cooking tradition you’ll still find in Amish and rural Midwestern kitchens: simple ingredients, long slow cooking, and flavors that deepen as they gently bubble away. The smoked sausage slowly releases its savory juices, which soak right into the rustic potato wedges and onions, making every bite tender and rich without needing a fancy sauce or a long ingredient list. It’s the sort of meal you can toss together in the morning, head out to chores or work, and come home to a pot full of stick-to-your-ribs comfort that tastes like it took all day—because it did, but the slow cooker did the work for you.
Serve this sausage and potato supper straight from the slow cooker with a big spoon, making sure to ladle some of those savory juices over each plate. It pairs nicely with a simple green vegetable like steamed green beans, buttered peas, or a crisp tossed salad to balance the richness. A slice of crusty bread or a warm dinner roll is perfect for soaking up the flavorful juices at the bottom of the bowl. If you like a little tang, set out a small dish of mustard or a splash of cider vinegar on the table so folks can season their own serving to taste, just like we do out here in the country.
Slow Cooker Amish Sausage and PotatoesServings: 4-6
Ingredients
2 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into rustic wedges
1 large yellow onion, peeled and thickly sliced
1.5 pounds smoked sausage or kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Directions
Lightly grease the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with a little oil or cooking spray to help with cleanup.
Layer the potato wedges evenly in the bottom of the slow cooker, spreading them out so they form a bed for the sausage.
Scatter the sliced onion over the potatoes, letting some pieces fall down between the wedges so the flavor reaches every layer.
Arrange the sliced smoked sausage on top of the onions and potatoes in an even layer so the pieces can brown slightly around the edges as they cook.
Pour the chicken broth evenly over everything in the slow cooker, making sure all the potatoes get at least a light splash so they can soak up the savory juices as they cook.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the sausage is browned around the edges and nestled in rich juices.
Once done, gently stir from the bottom with a large spoon, turning the potatoes and sausage so they are coated in the rendered juices and softened onion. Taste and add a little salt and black pepper if desired, keeping in mind the sausage already brings saltiness.
Serve hot, spooning potatoes, sausage, and plenty of the savory cooking juices into bowls or onto plates. The potatoes should be soft enough to almost melt in your mouth, with the sausage rounds glistening and richly flavored from the slow cooking.
Variations & Tips
For a touch of color and sweetness, you can tuck in 2 to 3 peeled and chunked carrots along with the potatoes, keeping the total amount of vegetables about the same so the cooking time doesn’t change much. If your family likes a bit more seasoning but you still want to keep it simple, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of dried parsley or thyme over the top before cooking, or add a bay leaf and fish it out before serving. For a slightly richer dish, replace 1/4 cup of the chicken broth with heavy cream during the last 30 minutes of cooking, gently stirring it in so it doesn’t break. You can also swap in red potatoes if that’s what you have on hand; they’ll hold their shape a bit more, while russets give you that softer, almost falling-apart texture my uncle loved. If you prefer a leaner option, use turkey sausage instead of pork, but be sure to keep the broth amount the same so the potatoes still soak up plenty of moisture and flavor. Leftovers reheat well in a skillet with a little butter or oil until the potatoes crisp up at the edges, turning last night’s supper into a hearty farmhouse-style breakfast alongside eggs.
