Slow-Cooker Sausage, Potatoes & Green Beans
Slow-Cooker Sausage, Potatoes & Green Beans is the kind of hearty dinner that makes good use of a simple set of ingredients. Smoked sausage, baby gold potatoes and green beans cook together with onion and garlic in a buttery, ranch-seasoned chicken broth.
The preparation is especially straightforward because there is no separate browning stage in the supplied method. Add the potatoes, green beans, sausage, onion and garlic to the slow cooker, season everything with ranch seasoning and black pepper, then pour in the chicken broth and place the butter on top.
You can cook the dish on LOW for 5–6 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours. Rather than relying on the clock alone, check the potatoes: they should be fork-tender when the meal is ready.
A gentle stir before serving brings the sausage, vegetables and seasoned broth together. Fresh parsley can be added as an optional garnish, while cornbread or dinner rolls make natural serving ideas if you want something alongside this easy slow-cooker dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Everything cooks in the slow cooker: The supplied method does not require a separate skillet or browning step.
- It combines sausage and vegetables: Smoked sausage, potatoes and green beans make up the heart of the dish.
- Preparation is straightforward: Most ingredients simply go into the slow cooker before cooking begins.
- Ranch seasoning does the heavy lifting: One packet seasons the broth, sausage and vegetables together.
- Butter enriches the cooking liquid: Four tablespoons are placed on top before the slow cooker is covered.
- You have two cooking options: Choose LOW for 5–6 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.
- There is a clear doneness cue: Check that the potatoes are fork-tender before serving.
- It works well for a busy day: Once assembled, the recipe needs little attention until it is time to check the potatoes and serve.
Ingredients
- 1 package Lit’l Smokies or smoked sausage, sliced
- 1½ lbs baby gold potatoes, halved
- 12 oz green beans, trimmed
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 packet ranch seasoning
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp black pepper
Ingredient Notes
Lit’l Smokies or Smoked Sausage
The recipe gives you a choice between one package of Lit’l Smokies or smoked sausage. The ingredient line specifies sliced sausage, but it does not provide a package weight, brand requirement or slice thickness.
Baby Gold Potatoes
Use 1½ pounds of baby gold potatoes and halve them before adding them to the slow cooker. Their tenderness is also the recipe’s main doneness cue at the end of cooking.
Green Beans
The recipe calls for 12 ounces of trimmed green beans. They go into the slow cooker at the beginning with the potatoes, sausage, onion and garlic.
Yellow Onion
Dice one small yellow onion. It cooks with the other vegetables for the entire slow-cooking period.
Garlic
Three minced garlic cloves are included in the initial mixture, so there is no separate sautéing step in this version.
Ranch Seasoning
One packet of ranch seasoning flavors the dish. The source does not provide a packet weight or brand, so no package size has been added.
Chicken Broth
Two cups of chicken broth provide the cooking liquid. Pour it into the slow cooker after sprinkling the ranch seasoning and black pepper over the other ingredients.
Butter
Four tablespoons of butter are placed on top before the slow cooker is covered and cooking begins.
Black Pepper
The recipe uses ½ teaspoon of black pepper along with the ranch seasoning. No additional salt is included in the supplied ingredient list.
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large spoon for gently stirring and serving
How to Make Slow-Cooker Sausage, Potatoes & Green Beans
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Assemble the Ingredients
Add potatoes, green beans, sausage, onion, and garlic to your slow cooker. Sprinkle ranch seasoning and black pepper over everything. Pour in chicken broth and place butter on top.
-
Slow Cook
Cover and cook on LOW for 5–6 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
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Stir and Serve
Stir gently before serving and garnish with fresh parsley if you like.
Tips for the Best Results
- Halve the baby potatoes: The recipe specifically calls for the baby gold potatoes to be halved before cooking.
- Trim the green beans first: Prepare the full 12 ounces before adding them to the slow cooker.
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic: Follow the supplied preparation so these ingredients distribute throughout the dish.
- Add the seasoning before the broth: Sprinkle the ranch seasoning and black pepper over the sausage and vegetables, then pour in the chicken broth.
- Put the butter on top: The supplied method places the 4 tablespoons of butter over the assembled ingredients rather than requiring a separate melting step.
- Choose the schedule that works for you: Cook on LOW for 5–6 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.
- Check the potatoes: Fork-tender potatoes are the recipe’s specific doneness cue.
- Stir gently: Give everything a gentle stir after cooking rather than aggressively mixing the tender potatoes and green beans.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Leaving the Baby Potatoes Whole
The ingredient list specifically calls for 1½ pounds of baby gold potatoes, halved. Prepare them that way before adding them to the slow cooker.
Forgetting to Trim the Green Beans
Trim the 12 ounces of green beans before they go into the slow cooker with the other ingredients.
Adding an Unspecified Browning Step
The supplied method does not call for browning or frying the sausage first. It goes directly into the slow cooker with the potatoes, green beans, onion and garlic.
Relying Only on the Clock
The recipe gives cooking ranges, but it also provides a useful texture cue: the potatoes should be fork-tender.
Guessing the Sausage Package Size
The source calls for one package of Lit’l Smokies or smoked sausage without stating a weight. Avoid assigning an ounce measurement that was not supplied.
Adding Extra Salt Automatically
The ingredient list includes ranch seasoning and black pepper but does not call for additional salt. Keep the documented recipe intact unless you intentionally decide to modify it.
Substitutions and Variations
Lit’l Smokies or Smoked Sausage
The main ingredient list already includes an explicit choice between Lit’l Smokies and smoked sausage. Either option fits the supplied recipe.
Optional Fresh Parsley
The directions suggest garnishing the finished dish with fresh parsley if you like. Because no amount is supplied, parsley remains an optional finishing ingredient rather than part of the measured ingredient list.
No substitutions are supplied for the baby gold potatoes, green beans, ranch seasoning, chicken broth or butter. Changing those ingredients would be an editorial variation rather than part of the original recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the sausage, potatoes and green beans warm with some of the buttery ranch-seasoned broth. A little fresh parsley can go over the top if you want to use the optional garnish mentioned in the directions.
The source also asks whether the dish should be eaten with cornbread or dinner rolls. Either can therefore be considered an optional serving idea, although neither is part of the measured recipe itself.
Storage and Reheating
Specific storage and reheating instructions were not included with the supplied recipe, so this article does not assign a storage duration or reheating method that was not provided.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sausage should I use for this slow-cooker recipe?
The supplied ingredient list allows one package of Lit’l Smokies or smoked sausage.
How much sausage do I need?
The recipe specifies one package but does not provide a package weight, so an exact ounce measurement has not been assigned.
What kind of potatoes does the recipe use?
Use 1½ pounds of baby gold potatoes, halved.
Do I need to cook the sausage before putting it in the slow cooker?
The supplied method does not include a separate browning or precooking stage. It directs you to add the sausage to the slow cooker with the vegetables.
How long does sausage, potatoes and green beans cook on LOW?
Cook the dish covered on LOW for 5–6 hours.
How long does it cook on HIGH?
The supplied HIGH cooking time is 3–4 hours.
How do I know when it is done?
Check the potatoes. The supplied directions say to cook until they are fork-tender.
When do I add the butter?
Place the 4 tablespoons of butter on top after adding the sausage, vegetables, seasonings and chicken broth.
How much ranch seasoning should I use?
The recipe calls for one packet. No packet weight or brand is specified.
Can I garnish it with parsley?
Yes. Fresh parsley is specifically suggested as an optional garnish, although no quantity is provided.
Should I serve this with cornbread or dinner rolls?
Both are mentioned as possible accompaniments in the supplied text. Choose whichever you prefer, as neither is required for the slow-cooker recipe itself.
How many servings does this recipe make?
The supplied recipe does not state a serving yield, so an exact number of portions has not been assigned.
Recipe Card: Slow-Cooker Sausage, Potatoes & Green Beans
Recipe Name: Slow-Cooker Sausage, Potatoes & Green Beans
Description: Smoked sausage, baby gold potatoes and green beans slow-cooked with onion, garlic, ranch seasoning, chicken broth and butter.
Method: Slow cooker
Cooking Time: LOW for 5–6 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours
Doneness Cue: Potatoes should be fork-tender
Ingredients
- 1 package Lit’l Smokies or smoked sausage, sliced
- 1½ lbs baby gold potatoes, halved
- 12 oz green beans, trimmed
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 packet ranch seasoning
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Add potatoes, green beans, sausage, onion, and garlic to your slow cooker. Sprinkle ranch seasoning and black pepper over everything. Pour in chicken broth and place butter on top.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5–6 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Stir gently before serving and garnish with fresh parsley if you like.
Recipe Notes
- The recipe allows Lit’l Smokies or smoked sausage.
- No sausage package weight was supplied.
- Halve the baby gold potatoes and trim the green beans before cooking.
- The ranch seasoning packet size was not supplied.
- Cook on LOW for 5–6 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.
- Use fork-tender potatoes as the doneness cue.
- Fresh parsley is an optional garnish with no specified amount.
- Cornbread and dinner rolls are optional serving ideas mentioned in the supplied text.
- No prep time, serving yield or nutrition information was supplied.
Storage and Reheating
Specific storage and reheating instructions were not included with the supplied recipe.