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Crockpot Dirty Italian Sausage and Potato Casserole

ByMelissa Jo Posted on Updated on
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A hand with red nails lifts a cheesy serving of taco casserole from a slow cooker, showing beans, corn, ground meat, and melted cheese in a kitchen setting.

Since my dirty spaghetti went so viral on not only my website but all of my platforms, with rave reviews, I decided to make you another dirty little dinner! It’s got some of the same ingredients, such as sausage, beef bouillon, cajun creole, and fire roasted tomatoes, but I added a few more to make it uniquely its own! If you’re wondering how good this is going to taste it’s a cross between chili, dirty spaghetti, and the best cheesy casserole you’ve ever had.

This Crockpot Dirty Italian Sausage and Potato Casserole is one of those dinners where I just kept adding things and saying, “Ohhh wait, this would be good in here too.” And guess what? It was. We have mild Italian sausage, potatoes, peppers, beans, corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, butter, cheddar cheese, and enough seasoning to make your whole house smell like somebody’s mama has been cooking all day.

I call it “dirty” because it is not a delicate little casserole. It is bold, hearty, full of flavor, and has a little bit of everything all mixed together in the crockpot. Honestly, it has that same big comfort-food energy as my Fall Apart BBQ Ribs In The Oven. You know, the kind of dinner where everybody is already hovering around the kitchen before it is even done.

You can absolutely serve this all by itself because it is a full meal, but I would never say no to a big piece of Easy Honey Butter Cornbread on the side. Cowboy Caviar would be so good with it too, especially if you want something fresh next to all this rich, savory goodness. And if you are making a full Sunday dinner spread, add The Best Potato Salad and just let everybody go back for seconds.

A hand stirs sliced red and green bell peppers and onions in a steaming pan with a wooden spatula.
Peppers and onions go right into the cast iron first with Tony’s, Sazón, and cracked black pepper. We are not sending bland veggies into this crockpot.
Colorful sliced red and green bell peppers and onions are being sautéed in a black cast iron skillet, with steam rising and a wooden spatula visible to the right.
A hand holds a knife above a wooden cutting board with whole and sliced red potatoes. A slow cooker and kitchen counter are in the background.
Slice your potatoes thin!
A person holds a bottle and a jar of Better Than Bouillon over a pan of cooked ground meat, onions, and bell peppers on a stovetop. Steam rises from the pan.
Sprinkle in the beef bouillon and add the Worcestershire right into the skillet. This is the little flavor boost that makes people ask what you did!
Ground meat cooked with sliced red and green bell peppers and onions in a dark sauce, served in a black dish with visible steam rising from the food.
A can of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, a jar of Publix Chili Powder, and a packet of Sazón Goya seasoning sit on a checkered table. A kitchen counter with various items is visible in the background.
Tony’s, Sazón, and Chili powder are all seasoning that really elevates this dish!
A close-up of shiny red kidney beans and dark black beans mixed together in a pot or container.
Black beans and kidney beans go in next. Make sure they are rinsed and drained so the casserole stays flavorful and not watery.
Sliced red potatoes layered on top of cranberries inside a black slow cooker, ready to be cooked.
A slow cooker filled with sliced potatoes, sliced sausage, shredded cheddar cheese, and sprinkled seasoning, ready to be cooked.
about 3 oz of shredded cheddar cheese!
A slow cooker filled with sliced potatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, and a generous layer of yellow corn, ready to be cooked.
Add in your sweet corn, also rinsed and drained!
A slow cooker filled with layers of corn, shredded cheddar cheese, and diced tomatoes. In the background, a person in jeans stands near a kitchen counter.
Add in Hunt’s fire roasted tomatoes!
A close-up of a slow cooker filled with corn, diced tomatoes, minced garlic, and other ingredients, ready to be cooked. Kitchen counters and cabinets are visible in the background.
A slow cooker filled with a mixture of corn, tomatoes, pasta, and ground meat, topped with five square pats of butter, ready to be cooked.
A slow cooker filled with a stew containing corn, tomatoes, sliced potatoes, and ground meat, sitting on a wooden countertop in a kitchen.
A slow cooker filled with a cheesy, melted casserole featuring mixed ingredients, likely beans and meat, in a kitchen setting.
Freshly grated Colby Jack goes on top for the final bubbly, cheesy finish!
A woman in a kitchen smiles while holding a spoonful of cheesy casserole from a slow cooker. There is a vase of flowers labeled DRINK on the counter beside her.

Melissa’s Tips!

Slice the potatoes thin, but not paper-thin. You want them tender and soft after cooking, but you still want them to hold their shape in the casserole.

Do not skip the cast-iron step. Browning the sausage, peppers, and onions first gives this recipe that deep, cooked-all-day flavor before the crockpot even gets involved.

Make sure you rinse and drain the black beans, kidney beans, and corn really well. We want all the flavor from the sausage and seasonings, not a bunch of extra can liquid watering everything down.

Use freshly grated cheese for the top. It melts so much better and gives you that good cheesy finish we all want.

Wait until the end to decide whether it needs extra salt. Between the Italian sausage, Tony’s, Sazón, beef bouillon, and Worcestershire, there is already a lot of flavor happening in here.

You do not have to use two different cheeses in this recipe. Melissa used what she already had in her kitchen, so if you have cheddar, Colby Jack, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or a blend, use what you’ve got. The cheese in the crockpot and the cheese on top can absolutely be the same cheese. This recipe is very forgiving, and that is what makes it so easy and delicious!

🤔 Common Questions

Why is it called dirty Italian sausage and potato casserole?

Because it is big, bold, seasoned, and full of all kinds of good stuff! There are potatoes, sausage, peppers, beans, corn, tomatoes, butter, cheese, and seasonings all cooking together in one hearty crockpot dinner!!

Can I use hot Italian sausage?

Absolutely. Mild Italian sausage makes it family-friendly, but hot Italian sausage would be delicious for anyone who likes a little extra kick.

Can I use another kind of potato?

Red potatoes are great because they hold their shape nicely, but Yukon Gold potatoes would work too. Just make sure whatever potato you use is sliced thin enough to cook through evenly.

Crockpot Dirty Italian sausage and potato casserole

This Crockpot Dirty Italian Sausage and Potato Casserole is a big, hearty, flavor-packed dinner made with mild Italian sausage, thin-sliced potatoes, peppers, beans, corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, butter, and cheddar cheese. It starts with a quick cast-iron browning step, then lets the crockpot do the rest.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium onion sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper seeds and membranes removed, sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper seeds and membranes removed, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning plus more for the top
  • 1 packet Sazón seasoning
  • Cracked black pepper to taste
  • 5 red potatoes sliced thin, no need to peel!
  • 1 pound mild bulk Italian sausage
  • 1 tablespoon beef bouillon base
  • about 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 15-ounce can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 16-ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 15.25-ounce can can whole sweet corn, rinsed and drained
  • 14.5 oz can huntz fire-roasted diced tomatoes dont drain, use whole can!
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • ½ stick salted butter
  • 11 ounces freshly grated cheese 3 oz shredded cheddar in the pot and 8 oz of Colby Jack after cooking for the top!

Instructions
 

  • Step 1: Slice the onion, red pepper, and green pepper. Remove the seeds and membranes from the peppers, then slice the red potatoes thin.
  • Step 2: Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and peppers, then season with 1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s, the Sazón packet, and a little cracked black pepper. Cook until softened and lightly browned.
  • Step 3: Add the mild Italian sausage to the skillet. Break it up and cook with the peppers and onions until browned and no longer pink.
  • Step 4: Scoop the beef bouillon into the sausage mixture and shake in the Worcestershire sauce. Stir everything together and let it cook for another minute.
  • Step 5: Pour the sausage, pepper, and onion mixture into the crockpot and then add in the rinsed beans on top
  • Step 6: Add your sliced potatoes in and sprinkle with chili powder over top
  • Step 7: Place the half stick of salted butter right over the top, then give it another sprinkle of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning.
  • Step 8: Layer your 3 oz of fresh shredded cheese, then the corn and last the hunts on top
  • Step 8: Cook on high heat for 5-6 but for medium to low heat around 7-8!
  • Step 9: Shred 8 oz of cheese on top and let it melt!
Keyword crockpot, easy sausage and potato, italian
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

🗒 More Delicious Recipes

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave until hot all the way through. Add a little extra cheddar cheese over the top when reheating if you want to bring it back to life.


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