Smothered Potatoes

Southern smothered potatoes are tender, flavorful potatoes cooked with bacon, sausage, onions, and peppers—a cozy side or hearty main dish everyone loves.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword potato side dishes, southern side dishes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 408kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon cut into 1/4 inch pieces
oil or bacon grease as needed
14 ounces smoked sausage sliced into 'coins'
1 tablespoon Slap Yo Mama Cajun seasoning
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 pounds Russet potatoes peeled + cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups onion, diced
1 red bell pepper diced
1 green bell pepper diced
1 heaping tablespoon garlic
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter cut into 1/4 inch cubes
salt and pepper to taste if needed

Garrnish

fresh parsley chopped
fresh thyme stems removed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large, heavy-bottom pot or skillet, cook the bacon (1/2 pound) until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
If there aren't 2 tablespoons of drippings remaining in the skillet, add more bacon fat or vegetable oil to make up the difference. Add sausage (14 ounces) to the skillet, and cook over medium heat, until browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the plate with bacon.
In a small bowl, mix together with a fork Cajun seasoning (1 tablespoon), old bay seasoning (2 teaspoons), and dried thyme (2 teaspoons) until evenly combined.
Add potatoes (2 pounds), onion (1 1/2 cups), red (1) and green pepper (1) to the pot. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the vegetables to evenly coat. Cook over medium heat, tossing them every 3-4 minutes, until the veggies become nicely golden browned. Add garlic (1 heaping) and continue to cook, stirring and flipping the mixture, for about 1 minute. Return bacon and sausage to the skillet and toss to combine.
Return bacon and sausage to the skillet. Pour in the chicken broth (1/3 cup) over the vegetables and dot the top with butter (2 tablespoons). Cook over medium, covered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 6-9 minutes.
Remove lid, continue to cook uncovered if any chicken broth remains. Taste and adjust seasoning (I use about 1/2 teaspoon salt per our taste). Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with parsley and, or fresh thyme and serve.

Notes

Brown in layers for big flavor. Take the time to fully cook and brown the bacon and sausage before you start the vegetables. Those tasty browned bits on the bottom of the pan (the fond) are pure flavor—and when the potatoes and veggies go in, they soak all of that up as they cook.
Don’t overcrowd the pan. Use a wide, heavy skillet or Dutch oven so the potatoes and veggies have room to sit against the hot surface. If they’re piled too high, they’ll steam instead of browning, and you’ll miss that delicious golden color.
Let the potatoes color before smothering. Resist the urge to stir constantly. Tossing every 3–4 minutes gives the potatoes time to develop a deep, flavorful crust before you add broth and cover the pan. That golden color equals more flavor in every bite.
Be gentle once the potatoes are tender. When the potatoes are nearly done, stir more gently so they don’t break apart. You want soft, smothered potatoes that still hold their shape, not mashed potatoes in the pan.
Turn leftovers into breakfast. The next morning, reheat leftover smothered potatoes in a skillet and top each portion with a fried or poached egg. It’s the easiest way to turn last night’s side dish into a diner-worthy breakfast.

Nutrition