Sausage and Potato Casserole is a hearty comfort food family recipe my mom has been making for years. It is creamy, cheesy and so delicious. Best of all, it is an amazing make-ahead meal.
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This Sausage Potato Casserole recipe is from my mom. It's a family favorite that she's been making for decades. Throughout the years, it's been one of the most requested "special" dishes. While it is a little bit time-consuming, Sausage Potato Casserole is not overly difficult.
Of course, it helps to have an extra set of hands for peeling the potatoes. After all, having company in the kitchen is always a bonus. At my parent's house, everything revolves around the kitchen. It's our gathering place, and, where I learned my love of cooking and baking.
My mom is the ultimate home cook, and this is the ultimate comfort food dish.
One of the things I love about this recipe is that it feeds a big group. It's great for potlucks and parties. But, if you've got a small family like me, you can make two dinners out of this by using two smaller pans.
It's especially good for new moms. I had 2 or 3 of these in the freezer at the end of each of my pregnancies and loved taking out that homemade meal after a long day with a new baby.
Ingredients
- ground pork sausage
- Yukon Gold potatoes
- cream of potato soup OR Homemade Cream Soup Substitute
- milk
- sharp cheddar cheese
- butter crackers
- butter
- salt and black pepper
This is meant to be a brief overview of the potato and sausage casserole recipe. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since this is one of our most popular recipes, there have been many questions about how to make it ahead of time, substitutions, and freezing.
Here are some tips and info I think you'll find helpful for our easy sausage and potato casserole:
It's both! My mom always makes this comfort dish for dinner, but it is also amazing for breakfast. There's no wrong way to eat this recipe!
Potato and Sausage Casserole can be made 2-3 days ahead. Prepare the casserole per the directions. However, I recommend not adding the cracker crumb topping until just before baking, or it will become soggy.
Cover with foil and place in the refrigerator. Since the casserole will be cold, you may need to add a few more minutes to the bake time.
I use inexpensive aluminum foil 9x9 pans for freezing, so I don't end up with all my baking dishes in the freezer!
1. Assemble the casserole per the instructions, but do not add the cracker crumb topping.
2. Wrap the casserole tightly in tin foil, then slide the casserole dish into a freezer bag.
3. Be sure to label the bag with the date, name of the recipe, and baking instructions.
The night before you want to serve this dish, remove it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator to thaw.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt two tablespoons butter
Remove the tinfoil, add the cracker crumb topping, and drizzle with melted butter.
Bake according to the original instructions.
Variations
We recommend that you try our recipe for the first time just as it is written for the best results, because that is how the recipe has been tested.
However, the next time you make it, you might consider one of these different ways of making this great recipe.
- I prefer using cream of potato soup, but any creamed soup will work. Try it with cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup.
- Add ½ cup each of diced green bell peppers and minced onion to the skillet while browning the sausage mixture.
- While I prefer Yukon gold potatoes, you could also use russet potatoes or red potatoes.
- If you're in a pinch, use frozen diced potatoes to save time. No judgement here - I love shortcuts!
- Use ground chicken sausage if you prefer.
Ang's Tips
Use a mesh strainer to drain the ground sausage after cooking to remove excess fat.
Cook the potatoes until they are almost fork tender. Pour cold water over them to cool. (Remember they will continue to bake in the oven.)
Similar Recipes
You might also enjoy sausage recipes, check out one of these great recipes I just know your family will love:
- Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner - dinner does not get easier than this.
- Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole - have a hearty breakfast on the table in under an hour; great for weekends!
- Italian Sausage Pasta with Blistered Tomatoes - this pasta dish is fresh and delicious.
- Creamy Tomato Basil Soup - this soup is so comforting and perfect for busy weeknights.
- Chicken Pasta Bake - tastes kind of like chicken alfredo but with a wonderful breadcrumb topping. (This is another of my favorite casserole recipes!)
- Cheesy Hamburger Casserole - a kid-friendly meal that's ready in about 35 minutes; serve with steamed broccoli for a simple meal.
- Chicken Stuffing Bake - will remind you of Thanksgiving dinner but is easy enough to make any day of the week.
Related: Ground Sausage Recipes
You'll also love our recipes for pasta with sausage and broccolini and chorizo and potato casserole!
Tater tot breakfast casserole and this sweet potato quiche are two of our most popular breakfast casseroles especially for holidays like Easter and Christmas.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this yummy sausage-potato casserole with a sprinkle of green onions and sour cream on the side if you like.
For brunch, this casserole is delicious with Honey Lime Fruit Salad, Bacon Egg Cups, and Salted Caramel Banana Bread.
For dinner, serve it with Honey Glazed Tarragon Carrots or Roasted Beets and Buttered Basil Dinner Rolls.
Sausage and Potato Casserole
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Ingredients
- 2 16oz pkg ground sausage
- 5 lb Yukon Gold potatoes
- 2 10.5 oz cans cream of potato soup
- 1½ cups milk
- cheddar cheese, shredded
Cracker Topping
- buttery crackers such as Ritz crumbled
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¾ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- In a large skillet, crumble and brown the sausage, then drain off the grease.2 16oz pkg ground sausage
- Cut potatoes into fat ¼" slices and boil for 10-15 minutes. Take care not to over cook the potatoes. They should be a little hard as they will continue to cook when you bake the casserole.5 lb Yukon Gold potatoes
- Then, rinse them with cold water so that you can easily handle the slices.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cream of potato soup with the milk, whisk together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.2 10.5 oz cans cream of potato soup, 1½ cups milk
- Butter a 9×13 casserole dish. (Alternatively, you can use (2) 8x8 or 9x9 pans).
- Begin layering the ingredients in this order: sauce on bottom, potatoes, sausage, cheese, and repeat until dish is full.cheddar cheese, shredded
- Pour the remaining sauce mixture over the top.
- Crush the crackers and sprinkle them over the top.buttery crackers such as Ritz
- Drizzle melted butter over the top, then finish off with a bit more cheese.2 tablespoons butter, ¾ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350-degrees F for 45-60 minutes until bubbly.
- Remove the tinfoil and bake another 5-8 minutes to allow top to brown.
Equipment
- Stock Pot
- Mesh Strainer
- Baking Pan - see notes
Video
Notes
Tips for Making Potato Sausage Casserole
- Use a mesh strainer to drain the ground sausage after cooking to remove excess fat.
- Cook the potatoes until they are almost fork tender. Pour cold water over them to cool. (Remember they will continue to bake in the oven.)
How to Freeze Potato and Sausage Casserole
For freezing, I use inexpensive aluminum foil 9×9 pans so I don’t end up with all my baking dishes in the freezer!- Assemble the casserole as per the instructions but do not add the cracker crumb topping.
- Wrap the casserole tightly in tinfoil, then slide the casserole dish into a freezer bag.
- Be sure to label the bag with the date, name of the recipe and baking instructions.
Instructions for Thawing and Baking
- The night before you want to serve this dish, remove it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator to thaw.
- Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter
- Remove the tinfoil and add the cracker crumb topping and drizzle with melted butter.
- Bake according to the original instructions.
Nutrition
These are some of our most popular meal ideas:
- roasted pork tenderloin
- chicken tortilla soup
- homemade beef pot pie
- pork lettuce wraps
- potato chicken broccoli casserole
Ashley Ponder says
This is so yummy! I added frozen carrots and peas to mine and it was really good.
Megan says
Yum!! I love a good breakfast casserole, and although I may not have my own family yet, this would be perfect for the work potlucks we have! Thanks for sharing a family recipe!
Marette says
My husband would love this!
Candy says
Recipies handed down from family members are really special. Time proven over the years.
Ally says
What a great idea to make ahead and freeze! I love finding recipes that are easy to make a bigger batch to enjoy today and later in the month!
Ang Paris says
I love make ahead and freezer meals! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave me a comment! I love hearing from my readers! 🙂
Kathleen says
This sounds really good. I think I'm going to add this to my menu this week.
Liz says
Thank you Ang. Sounds good. Halving it is a good idea for me.
Heather says
I don’t have cream of potato soup in my quarantine stash! I do have Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken. Would either is those work with this?
Ang Paris says
Hi Heather! You can use pretty much any "cream of" soup - enjoy!!
Amanda says
Could you use frozen potatoes?
Ang Paris says
Hi Amanda! I haven't tried to make it with frozen potatoes, but if you do let me know how it comes out 🙂
Shari says
This sounds really yummy!
Randi DeWeese says
This sounds delicious, but 5 lbs of potatoes seems WAY too much to fit in a 9x13 with 2 lbs of sausage. Is 5 lbs correct?
Ang Paris says
Nope, that's exactly the right amount Randi 🙂 The sausage cooks down and literally fills in the crevices between the potatoes. I know you'll love this casserole - it's so hearty so it's great for a crowd, too! Hope you give it a try soon.