This is the weeknight dinner I make when I want everything to come together in one skillet. Smoked sausage, baby Yukon golds, fresh green beans, and a sweet onion all cook in the same pan, in the same broth.
The sausage gets browned first and pulled out to rest while the vegetables steam through. It goes back in at the end to warm up and pick up the seasoning. By the time it’s all stirred back together, the potatoes are fork-tender, the green beans still have a little snap, and the smoked sausage drippings have flavored everything underneath them.
Read Before You Start
SIZE MATTERS: I recommend a 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe. The extra surface area helps the potatoes cook in a more even layer so the steam can circulate properly around the skillet.
A smaller skillet crowds the vegetables, causing the bottom layer to soften and brown faster while the top layer stays firmer longer.
If you’d rather move this to the oven and free up the stovetop, the sheet pan version, my Sausage Green Bean Potato Casserole, uses the same three core ingredients on a baking sheet at 400°F.
Ingredient Notes
- Use fresh green beans only. Canned beans are already cooked through and turn to mush under the lid. Frozen beans release water as they thaw in the pan and ruin the texture. If you have a pound of green beans you don’t want to use here, my smothered green beans recipe is a bacon-forward version.
- Use your favorite sausage. Beef, pork, chicken, andouille, or a spicy smoked version all work. I love kielbasa! If kielbasa is your default favorite too, my kielbasa and potato bake is a cheesy version, cooked in the oven.
- When I want a skillet dinner with steak instead of sausage, I make this garlic butter steak and potato version.”
Properly Prep The Potatoes
Cut the potatoes into roughly bite-sized pieces so they finish cooking in the same amount of time as the rest of the skillet.
Pieces that are too large stay firm in the center by the time the broth cooks off, while very small pieces soften too quickly and can start breaking apart when stirred.
Two Tips From Recipe Testing
Tip #1 – Single Layers
Brown the sausage rounds in a single layer, not stacked. If the rounds touch each other in the pan, they steam instead of caramelizing, which is where the deep savory color comes from. Cook two to three minutes per side, undisturbed, then flip.
Tip #2 – Added Flavor
Don’t pour off the sausage drippings after searing. The browned bits left in the pan are where most of the savory flavor lives.
Where You Can Mess Up
The 15 minutes under the lid is where the potatoes actually cook through. The broth turns to steam, and that steam softens the centers without needing to microwave or parboil the potatoes first.
A tight-fitting lid works best, but if your skillet lid has small gaps or doesn’t fit perfectly, cover the skillet tightly with foil instead. What matters is trapping the steam long enough for the potato centers to soften.
Stir only once at the halfway mark. The potatoes touching the skillet are getting direct heat while the top layer is mostly steaming, so without that single stir the bottom layer softens and browns faster than the top. Get the lid back on quickly after stirring.
Don’t lift the lid otherwise. Every time you peek, heat escapes and the potatoes slow down. If you uncover the skillet too early at the end, the bottoms start browning before the centers are fully tender.
Sausage and Potato Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 14 ounces smoked sausage, cut into ½-inch rounds
- 1 large sweet yellow onion, cut into ½-inch dice (yields about 1¼ cups)
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
- 1½ pounds baby yukon gold potatoes, halved (or quartered if large)
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into about 1½ to 2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup chicken broth
Instructions
- To a large (12-inch) heavy duty skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the smoked sausage in a single layer. Cook, and sear, for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the sausage rounds are heated through and caramelized to a golden brown.
- Using a slotted spatula remove the sausage, leaving the drippings in the pan, and transfer to a clean plate while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Add the onions and garlic to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes or just until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the potatoes, green beans, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes to start softening the vegetables.
- Pour in the chicken broth and cover the skillet with a tight fitting lid. Cook for 15 minutes, being sure to stir halfway through to ensure the vegetables cook evenly.
- Remove the lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the reserved smoked sausage back to the skillet. Cook for another 3-5 minutes, while stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, or until the potatoes are fork tender, the liquids have mostly evaporated, and the sausage is warmed through. Add a splash of additional chicken broth if needed to prevent sticking.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Notes
- Baby red potatoes are a wonderful substitute for the baby yukon gold potatoes in this recipe.
- I used a 24-ounce pre-bagged brand that comes triple washed and ready to use for convenience in preparation. If your potatoes are not pre-washed, be sure to rinse them under cool water and pat dry well before adding to the skillet.
- Use your favorite type of smoked sausage in this recipe. There are beef smoked sausages, pork and chicken smoked sausages, kielbasa, and even spicy smoked sausages. All of these options will taste great in this recipe.
- Be sure not to pour off the oil from the seared smoked sausage before adding the onions and garlic. This lends great flavor to the final dish.
- Fresh green beans are best for this recipe. Canned or frozen (then thawed) versions are too soft and will get too mushy when cooked. The fresh ones retain a slightly firmer texture while being fully cooked through.
Nutrition
Comments
Patti Sprehe says
I would also use paprika in the seasonings plus add some diced up peppers.
Julie says
Very tasty. Good flavor. Next time will use less butter, maybe 2T.