I dreamed up a little concoction the other day, but I never dreamed it would be this easy and fast. Savory venison sausage and potatoes covered in melted Parmesan cheese, and fully prepared in a single skillet. We ate this for supper, but for the “potatoes for breakfast crowd” this could easily be served as a breakfast dish. You could modify it by adding some bell peppers or even stirring in some scrambled eggs. I think I see another recipe idea brewing on the horizon. I’ll let you know how that turns out!
In the meantime, this dish requires:
- 1 pound smoked venison sausage
- 2 large potatoes, diced
- 1 – 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ large onion, diced
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp Cajun seasoning
- ½ c (+) grated Parmesan cheese
I have high hopes that the next time we make sausage Coach can smoke it before we freeze it. In the meantime I have to cook my sausage in the oven just long enough to crisp up the casings. If your sausage is smoked your sausage can go straight in the pan.
Step 1 ~ 5 minutes
Slice one pound of smoked venison sausage into bite size circles. Dice two large potatoes and half a large onion.
Step 2 ~ 15 minutes
In a large cast iron skillet, heat just enough olive oil to almost cover the bottom of the pan. We’re just trying to prevent sticking, that’s all.
Transfer the potatoes and sausage to the skillet, leaving the onions out for the time being. We’ll add those later.
Stir the potatoes and sausage up and sprinkle liberally with ½ tsp garlic salt, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and ½ a tsp of Ragin’ Blaze or your favorite Cajun seasoning. {The Texan in me says Italian food should have a little kick.}
Stir the seasonings together with the sausage and taters and cover with a lid.
Cook over medium heat for about fifteen minutes, stirring every five minutes or so.
Step 3 ~ 5 – 10 minutes
Once the potatoes begin to brown, use a fork to get a piece of potato, allow it to cool, and taste it to see if it’s tender enough for you.
There’s not much worse than an under-cooked potato. If the potatoes are tender to your liking or at least getting really close, add the diced onion to the skillet.
Stir the onion in, and continue to cook uncovered, stirring occasionally.
Cook for another five to ten minutes, or until the potatoes are completely tender and the onions are sautéed. The potatoes should be tender on the inside but slightly crunchy on the outside.
Step 4 ~ 5 minutes
When everything is cooked to perfection, remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle it generously with grated Parmesan cheese, about half a cup, or more.
Allow the cheese to melt and the potatoes to cool slightly before serving. That’s what I call a full meal deal.
I’ve always cooked hamburger and potatoes as a quick go-to meal, but substituting sausage and Italian seasonings takes it to a whole different level.
Finding ways to use link sausage has always been a bit of a challenge for me, so I’m really grateful to have another option for using the many pounds of link sausage I have in my freezer.
Parmesan Sausage & Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound smoked venison sausage
- 2 large potatoes diced
- 1 – 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ large onion diced
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp Cajun seasoning
- ½ c + grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet.
- Cut link sausage into bite size pieces. Add the sausage and potatoes to the skillet, and sprinkle with garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and Cajun seasoning. Stir to coat in oil, cover with a lid, and cook over medium heat for about fifteen minutes, stirring every five minutes.
- Once potatoes are tender to your preference stir in diced onion, and cook, uncovered, for another five to ten minutes, until potatoes are tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside and the onion is sautéed.
- Remove the skillet from heat, sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese, and allow the cheese to melt and the potatoes to cool for a few minutes before serving.
