Bring on the easy and comforting recipes! And you won’t be let down with this sausage peppers and potatoes skillet! Being from outside Philadelphia, I loved sausage and peppers growing up and this is such a fun spin on it.
This sausage peppers and potatoes recipe was born from a random night of fridge foraging. If you don’t know what fridge foraging is, it is routing through your fridge and pantry, seeing what you have on hand, and creating a meal with things you have available.
Fridge foraging is one of my favorite ways to cook and we do it in our house 80% of the time! It allows you to get creative, not waste food, and follow your intuition!
I opted for chicken sausage to help boost the protein, but any kind you like will work. Ground sausage works or you can get links from the butcher and remove it from the casing, which is what it did.
It’s loaded with flavor, packed with protein and veggies, and makes a healthy balanced meal! Plus it’s made in one pan and ready in about 45-50 minutes, making it great for a weeknight dinner. Or you can make it for meal prep and reheat it throughout the week!
Why we love this sausage peppers and potatoes skillet recipe
- one pot meal with just 9 ingredients!
- makes a macro-balanced dish – it’s full of protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and fiber for a complete meal.
- super comforting and cozy and something the whole family will love!
- great for meal prep – the leftovers taste great and it works well for meal prep.
Sausage peppers and potatoes ingredients
- ground Italian sausage – I like using chicken sausage for more protein, but any kind of sausage will work.
- olive oil
- potatoes
- onion
- fresh garlic
- bell peppers
- Italian seasoning
- marinara sauce
- mozzarella cheese
- salt and pepper
How to make sausage peppers and potatoes skillet
- Brown your sausage. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and let it get hot. Add your sausage, salt, and pepper, and break it up. Sauté for 6-7 minutes until browned. Remove from the pan, leaving the grease behind, and place in a bowl.
- Cook your potatoes. There should be some leftover pork grease in the pan. Add oil if needed and let it get hot.* Add potatoes with a little more salt and pepper and stir to combine. Spread evenly in the bottom of your pan and cook for 10-15 minutes until browned and almost cooked through. I covered them with a lid and stirred them 1-2 times.
- Saute your veggies. With the potatoes still in the pan, add onion and garlic to the pan, mix to combine, and saute for another 4-5 minutes. Next, add the peppers and Italian seasoning and mix to combine. Saute for 5-7 minutes until softened.
- Assemble. Add the cooked sausage, pasta sauce, and some salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Let everything warm through, about 1-2 minutes. Finally, sprinkle shredded cheese over the mixture and let melt, for about 1-2 minutes. If needed, you can cover the pan with a lid.
- Enjoy! Top with fresh herbs if using and enjoy!
Dicing your potatoes
A huge tip for success in this recipe is dicing your potatoes uniformly so they cook evenly. I try to get mine in 1/2-1-inch pieces. The larger they are cut, the longer they will take to cook, so keep that in mind.
Make it low-carb
To keep this dish low-carb, feel free to skip the potatoes altogether. You can serve it over cauliflower rice if you like. In addition, you can also sub out the potatoes for something lower in carbs like cauliflower florets.
Storage and reheating
- refrigerator – allow to cool completely. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
- freezer – I haven’t tried freezing this recipe, but it should work well. It should last up to 3 months in the freezer. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
- reheating – to reheat, pop it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat it on the stovetop. You might need to add a little more liquid (water or broth) if using the stove.
Substitutions and additions
- ground sausage – you can mild or spicy and chicken sausage, pork sausage, or turkey sausage. If you don’t like sausage, try ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey.
- olive oil – any kind of neutral oil will work.
- potatoes – I used Yukon gold potatoes as they have a creamy texture, but russet potatoes will work instead. You can also try sweet potatoes or butternut squash if you have that on hand.
- garlic – garlic powder will work instead. Use 1/2 teaspoon.
- Italian seasoning – feel free to use a mix of dried basil, parsley, oregano, rosemary, and thyme if you don’t have Italian seasoning. You just need 1 tablespoon total of dried herbs. The ratio of the herbs shouldn’t matter too much.
- marinara sauce – use your favorite kind!
- cheese – use whatever kind of cheese you like, or you can leave it off to keep it dairy-free, paleo, and Whole30.
And here are some additions you can add:
- vegetables – zucchini, summer squash, or mushrooms would be great. There is never anything wrong with adding more veggies!
- spices – one of the easiest ways to change the flavor of the meal!
More healthy skillet recipes
- shrimp fajitas
- ground turkey sweet potato skillet
- healthy chicken pad thai
- cheesy beef taco skillet
- philly cheesesteak skillet
If you love quick and easy meals and want to learn how to build a balanced plate, check out our FREE How to Build a Balanced Plate Guide!
Sausage Peppers and Potatoes Skillet
equipment
ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage (I used chicken sausage, but pork will also work. Use hot or mild depending on spice preference)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil (or more if needed)*
- 1 pound yukon gold potatoes, diced into 1/2-1 inch pieces**
- 1 cup diced onion (120 grams)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups diced bell peppers (600 grams – I used red, yellow, and green)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- optional toppings: fresh basil, fresh parsley, red pepper flakes….
instructions
- Brown your sausage. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and let it get hot. Add your sausage, salt, and pepper, and break it up. Sauté for 6-7 minutes until browned. Remove from the pan, leaving the grease behind, and place in a bowl.
- Cook your potatoes. There should be some leftover pork grease in the pan. Add oil if needed and let it get hot.* Add potatoes with a little more salt and pepper and stir to combine. Spread evenly in the bottom of your pan and cook for 10-15 minutes until browned and almost cooked through. I covered them with a lid and stirred them 1-2 times.
- Saute your veggies. With the potatoes still in the pan, add onion and garlic to the pan, mix to combine, and saute for another 4-5 minutes. Add the peppers and Italian seasoning and mix to combine. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened.
- Assemble. Add the cooked sausage, pasta sauce, and some salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Let everything warm through, about 1-2 minutes. Finally, sprinkle shredded cheese over the mixture and let melt, for about 1-2 minutes. If needed, you can cover the pan with a lid.
- Enjoy! Top with fresh herbs if using and enjoy!
Kitty says
This was fabulous! I used half yukon and half sweet potato and added a dash of red peeper flakes and fresh basil. The only thing I did differently was carmelize the onions after the meat and before the potatoes. Only because I had the time. Thank you so much for a new way to get veggies into my hubby! Do you know if leftovers will freeze well?
Kelly says
Oh, I love that idea!! Glad you both loved it Kitty and yes, it should freeze well. I would just store in a dish or bag and then defrost when you would like to eat. You can reheat in a pan with a little more sauce.
Madison Hoot says
Amazing recipe & fantastic with a small ned if pasta underneath!
Kelly says
Thank you, Madison – glad you enjoyed!
Candy says
So good!!! Easy too. I love butcher box too.
Kelly says
Yes, they are the best! So glad you enjoyed it Candy!
Alex Sturma says
New favorite recipe!! My fiancé is a picky eater and he loved it as well. Added some red chili flakes for some more spice. We will definitely be making this often!
Kelly says
Love the added spice! Thanks for trying Alex and glad y’all enjoyed!
Addy says
I made this for our family tonight and it was a hit! 2/3 of my kids are on the pickier side and even they liked it! Thanks for a great recipe!
Kelly says
Yay! So glad to hear that Addy! Thanks for trying!
Hilarie says
After seeing this dish on the Instagram feed, I knew I had to have this in my life! I had everything I needed for the recipe, but with a twist. I don’t use jarred marinara, but I had a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes and a generous supply of herbs and spices. I didn’t have any bell peppers, but I did have mini sweet peppers. I added a few more spices to the ground sausage to make it Italian sausage. And finally, because I don’t have a large cast iron skillet, I used a 9×13 casserole dish.
It would’ve made less of a mess and been quicker to clean up if I’d followed Kelly’s recipe exactly, but sometimes you make do with what you have. Even though I had to make my own marinara and use a different cooking method, the spirit of the recipe didn’t change. It was delicious and HIGHLY recommend everyone make this! My husband thoroughly enjoyed it and felt like it was a treat as it’s a bit different from our usual fare.
Kelly says
Love that you used what you had on hand and made it work! So glad you enjoyed it Hilarie!
lauren Hobson says
Made this sunday night! WE added mushrooms and subbed cauliflower for the potatoes. It was amazing. will be in the dinner rotation for us now.
Kelly says
Love the subs!! So glad you guys liked it and thanks for trying!
Dan says
Looks great can’t wait to make it
Kelly says
You guys will love it! Let me know if you do!