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This Crock Pot Sausage, Potatoes, and Green Beans, also known as swamp potatoes, is down-home comfort food in one pot. With smoky sausage, tender potatoes, and green beans, all seasoned with Cajun seasoning, it’s a full meal that practically cooks itself. Just toss everything together, top it with butter, and it’s ready in as little as 3 hours on high!
Green beans, potatoes, and sausage are a Southern staple, and my version started with my mom. She always made green beans and potatoes together. After I got married, I added sausage to turn it into a full meal I could start in the crockpot and let cook while we were working. We just called it sausage with green beans and potatoes. The name “swamp potatoes” only showed up in recent years, when the dish went viral on social media.
Our family likes a little kick, and you all know I want everything loaded with flavor, so I added the Cajun seasoning. I added butter too, because in my opinion potatoes need it. These days I make it for the two of us, or when the family is here. If you’re working all day and want dinner handled, this is the one you can put in the crockpot and come home to dinner done.
Why Everyone Loves These Swamp Potatoes
- Set-it-and-forget-it meal. Once everything is in the slow cooker, you’re done! No stirring or babysitting required.
- Hearty and filling. With protein, veggies, and potatoes all in one, this is a complete meal that doesn’t require any sides.
- Packed with smoky, buttery flavor. The sausage, seasoning, and butter come together to create a seriously delicious flavor!
- Beginner-friendly recipe. No fancy steps here, just layer, season, and let the slow cooker do the work.
- Perfect for busy days or hosting! It makes a big batch and stays warm, making it ideal for feeding family or guests.
Crockpot Sausage and Potatoes Ingredients
- Smoked Sausage: You can use a kielbasa or your favorite smoked sausage. I highly recommend searing the sliced sausage before adding it to the slow cooker for added flavor.
- Little Potatoes: A mix of red and yellow potatoes works great! They turn tender and buttery as they cook.
- Fresh Green Beans: Cleaned and trimmed, these add the right amount of freshness to the dish.
- Yellow Onion: For an added depth of flavor!
- Cajun Seasoning: This is key for that bold Southern flavor.
- Spices: Along with the Cajun seasoning, all you need is salt, pepper and garlic powder!
- Salted Butter: Melts into everything for an added richness!
How To Make Crock Pot Sausage Potatoes and Green Beans
✱ Below are step-by-step photos and instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.
Step 1 | Sear the Sausage
In a large skillet, sauté sliced smoked sausage until golden brown and extra flavorful. This is optional, but I recommend it!
Step 2 | Add Potatoes, Sausage & Onion to the Crock Pot
Place potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add sausage on top of the potatoes. Then add diced onion.
Step 3 | Add Green Beans & Spices
Add the green beans and sprinkle with seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder, and salt if using.
Step 4 | Toss
Toss everything together.
Step 5 | Top with Butter & Cook
Place sliced pats of butter all over the top. Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the potatoes are tender.
Step 6 | Serve & Enjoy
Serve and enjoy!
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Sausage Green Beans and Potatoes Variations
- Use canned green beans instead of fresh: Swap in 3 to 4 cans of drained green beans for convenience. Just note they’ll be softer in texture.
- Swap potatoes for what you have: Regular potatoes work just fine, just cut them into quarters so they cook evenly.
- Change up the seasoning: Not a fan of Cajun? Try a packet of onion soup mix or ranch seasoning for a different flavor twist.
- Add extra veggies: Carrots or bell peppers can be tossed in for added color and flavor.
- Use a different sausage: Kielbasa or turkey sausage both work great, depending on your preference.
Tips for Crockpot Green Beans and Potatoes
- Brown the sausage for extra flavor. It’s optional, but taking a few minutes to sauté the sausage adds those little caramelized edges, and they really make a difference!
- Cut ingredients evenly. Try to keep your potatoes and green beans similar in size so they cook at the same rate. This prevents some pieces from getting too soft while others are still firm.
- Don’t skip the butter. The butter melts down and creates a rich, flavorful base that coats everything. It’s what gives this dish that classic, comforting taste of swamp potatoes!
- Be careful with adding too much salt. Cajun seasoning can vary in saltiness, so taste and adjust as needed. Start light, then add more if needed once everything is cooked.
What to Serve With Swamp Potatoes
These slow cooker sausage, potatoes, and green beans are a full meal on their own (which is why I love it so much!). If you are feeding a crowd or just want some sides, it would go great with Southern favorites like Skillet Cornbread, fresh Coleslaw, or a Broccoli Salad with Bacon!
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
Storage: Store any leftover swamp potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Let cool completely, then freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Make Ahead: To make ahead, prep all ingredients the night before and store them in the fridge, then dump everything into the slow cooker in the morning!
Swamp Potatoes FAQs
The name “swamp potatoes” comes from the way everything cooks down together into a rich, buttery mixture that can look a little rustic or “swampy.” It’s a Southern nickname that stuck, even though the flavor is anything but! It’s smoky, savory, and full of comfort.
Yes, you can absolutely make swamp potatoes without green beans if you prefer. Just leave them out or swap in another vegetable like corn or carrots, and the dish will still be hearty and flavorful.
Yes, frozen green beans work well in this recipe. There’s no need to thaw them before adding.
It likely comes down to the size of your potatoes. Golf ball size is what you want, and I use little potatoes because they’re the perfect size. Baby potatoes or regular potatoes work too; just cut them down to match. Where they sit in the crockpot doesn’t matter, since you toss everything together anyway.
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Sausage Green Beans and Potatoes Crock Pot
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Ingredients
- 16 to 24 ounces Smoked Sausage - sliced
- 2 pounds little potatoes - I use a mixture little reds & yellows – if they are larger I cut them in half – washed
- 2 pounds fresh green beans - cleaned and trimmed – cut larger ones in half
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt to taste - this will depend on the cajun seasoning – I use anywhere from ½ to 1 teaspoon
- 1 stick salted butter - cut into pats (½ cup)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, saute sliced smoked sausage to get a nice color and extra flavor. This is optional!
- Place potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add sausage on top of the potatoes. Then add diced onion.
- Next, add the green beans and sprinkle with seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder, and salt if using.
- Toss everything together.
- Place sliced pats of butter all over the top.
- Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the potatoes are tender.
- Serve and enjoy
Notes
- Use canned green beans instead of fresh: Swap in 3 to 4 cans of drained green beans for convenience. Just note they’ll be softer in texture.
- Swap potatoes for what you have: Regular potatoes work just fine, just cut them into quarters so they cook evenly.
- Change up the seasoning: Not a fan of Cajun? Try a packet of onion soup mix or ranch seasoning for a different flavor twist.
- Add extra veggies: Carrots or bell peppers can be tossed in for added color and flavor.
- Use a different sausage: Kielbasa or turkey sausage both work great depending on your preference.
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Nutrition
Soulfully Made is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
My husband loved this dinner. Sausage, potatoes, green beans…three of his favorite things. Spicy deliciousness.
Thank you! I am so happy your husband enjoyed this dish!