Description
A comforting and hearty Cheesy Ranch Potatoes and Sausage recipe featuring tender shredded hash browns combined with smoky sausage, colorful bell peppers, and a creamy ranch cheese sauce. Perfect for an easy crockpot meal that melts together flavorful ingredients for a delicious and satisfying dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Sausage and Vegetables
- 1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
- 2 bell peppers, sliced (any color)
- 1 onion, diced
Potatoes and Dairy
- 1 regular size bag of frozen shredded hash browns (approx. 24 oz)
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 can (10.5 oz) cheddar cheese soup
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or your choice)
Seasoning
- 1 packet ranch seasoning
Instructions
- Sauté sausage and vegetables: In a hot skillet, sauté the sliced smoked sausage, bell peppers, and diced onion until they are slightly browned and aromatic. This step enhances the flavor and texture of the ingredients before slow cooking.
- Transfer to crockpot: Move the sautéed sausage and vegetable mixture into your crockpot or slow cooker, distributing evenly.
- Add remaining ingredients: Add the frozen shredded hash browns, heavy whipping cream, cheddar cheese soup, sour cream, ranch seasoning, and shredded cheese to the crockpot.
- Combine ingredients: Stir all ingredients thoroughly in the crockpot to ensure an even mixture of the creamy sauce with the potatoes and sausage.
- Cook slowly: Cover the crockpot and cook on high heat for 2 hours or on low heat for 4 hours, or until the potatoes are tender and the cheese sauce has melted and thickened.
- Final stir and serve: Before serving, stir the cheesy ranch potato and sausage mixture well to blend flavors and serve warm for a comforting meal.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, you can brown the hash browns briefly in a pan before adding to the crockpot.
- Feel free to substitute smoked sausage with kielbasa or another preferred sausage.
- Make it spicier by adding a pinch of cayenne pepper or chopped jalapeños during the sauté step.
- Use low-fat dairy alternatives to lighten the dish, though it may slightly alter the creaminess.
- Leftovers refrigerate well and can be reheated on the stovetop or microwave.
