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 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)
- 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!
Casaundra says
how should I cook the potatoes if I don’t have a lid for my cast iron skillet?
Kelly says
Hey Casaundra! You can still cook them in the cast iron, it will just take a little longer as a lid helps trap the heat. I would say you probably need to saute for 20-25 minutes without a lid until softened, and you may need some more oil too. You can dice them smaller and that will speed up the process too. Hope that helps!
Kay Gill says
You can also cover with foil
Kelly says
That’s a good tip!
Terri says
Kelly – this is delicious! Easy to make and comes together very quickly!
My hubby loves it. Putting this on the “repeat” menu!
The star rating isn’t accepting my 5 STAR review –
but this is FOR SURE a 5 STAR.
Thank you Kelly – say hi to Cashew 🙂
Kelly says
So happy to hear that Terri! Thanks for trying it and glad it was a hit! And of course, Cashew will get some loving 🙂
Daphne says
So very good. I even used flour tortillas on the side.
Kelly says
Love that way to serve it! Thanks for trying it Daphne and glad you enjoyed!
Amanda B. says
I love this recipe for so many reasons! First, it’s fast so when I don’t have a lot of time to be in the kitchen I can still get a really healthy meal cooked really quickly. Secondly, it’s so customizable to whatever you have. I used turkey sausage and sweet potatoes because that’s what I had on hand. Dice the peppers and onions up small to hide them from the kiddos. 🙂 And finally, it’s easy to prepare and it just tastes good. Simple, tasty, quick prep and cleanup = the perfect recipe for this busy working mom!
Kelly says
So happy to hear that Amanda! So you and the family enjoy it and it fits your lifestyle. Thanks for trying it!
Katie says
This recipe is SOLID. I swapped out the potatoes for rice on the side bc I love rice. Usually don’t eat sausage but this is SO good. 10/10. I make it routinely.
Kelly says
Oh, love that swap! Glad you enjoyed it Katie and thanks for trying it!
Brook says
Yum yum yum! Thank you for this recipe! It was delicious and even better I got to use up the things I needed before they went bad!
Kelly says
Love when nothing goes to waste! Glad you enjoyed it Brook and thanks for trying!
Kara says
This was really good the first night and reheated as leftovers. Simple and tasty! Will be adding this one to the rotation.
Kelly says
So glad to hear that – thank you for trying!
Jessica Donley says
Just made this the other night and it was a HIT! It makes a huge batch so it freezes nicely and is good for leftovers. I might add mushrooms next time I make it.
Kelly says
Mushrooms are a great idea! And all about the leftovers! Thank you Jessica!