Sweet Smoked German Sausage & Cheesy Green Onion ((carrot)) Mashed Potato Casserole
Looking for an easy one pot meal that will please the entire herd, make your house smell divine & provide some health benefit? I have the perfect recipe! Homemade mashed potatoes laced – um, I mean blessed with the addition of 4 large, sweet carrots and a bit of cheese and butter is a tasty and HEALTHY treat that will not bring tears to the table*.
This sweet, smoked German sausage is a real dietary splurge. But when one pound is divide between 8 servings – it is a doable splurge.
I come from a long line of mashed potato lovers. I take great pleasure in my ability to make delicious mashed potatoes with very little effort. I suppose I am naturally gifted in the mashed potato making department, hah – everyone has a skill…
For these mashed potatoes, I boiled about 3 lbs of potatoes, using a combinations of yellow butter potatoes and Russets. After boiling, I peeled the Russets — because their peels are very tough and noticeable. But, I left the peel of the butter potatoes on – added texture, nutrients and much easier to deal with (bonus).
I intentionally kept these potatoes light ((relatively low-fat, they are — where did Yoda come from?! That’s what spontaneously happens to moms of boys…wasn’t the first Yoda sighting, won’t be the last – sure I am.))
I love this Greek yogurt cream cheese product – have you tried it yet? It is slightly sweeter than traditional Neufchatel cheese, has an amazingly creamy texture and performs perfectly in this dish. The bonus of using this Greek yogurt type of cheese: it is even lower in fat & calories than Neufchatel.
Just a few tablespoons of butter, a cup and a half of shredded cheese, a cup or so of skim milk, S & P and some chopped green onion – and BOOM – potato perfection. Oh, what about the carrots you ask?? Well, that is where sneakiness comes into play. I grated 4 medium (raw) carrots. After the potatoes were boiled and drained, I added all of the usual suspects – and snuck in the grated carrots.
The kiddos thought the potatoes were EXTRA cheesy and asked for seconds – I knew the truth. What they don’t know won’t kill them – and in this case, will help them grow strong and healthy. (YAY.)
Once the potatoes are mashed, prepped and seasoned – they are ready to be turned into a casserole. Spray the dutch oven with non-stick spray coating & place one layer of mashed potatoes, top with a layer of sliced smoked sausage (I used sweet, smoked German sausage – turkey smoked sausage would be a great substitute, if you are looking for another way to lighten-up).
Continue layering until your potatoes & sausage are gone (if you reach the top of the Dutch oven and have leftovers, just stick them in the fridge for another time). Talk about homemade deliciousness! Your family will be begging to sit around the dinner table – just to enjoy YOUR yummy home-cooking!
- 3 lbs potatoes, boiled (I used a combination of Russets* & yellow butter potatoes)
- 3T butter
- 1 c skim milk
- 1 & 1/2 c, plus 2-3 T for garnish shredded cheese (I used a combination of Havarti and sharp white cheddar)
- 6 oz light cream cheese (I used a greek yogurt & cream cheese blend that worked beautifully)
- 1 large green onion, chopped (both white and green parts), reserve 2 T for garnish
- 4 medium-large sweet carrots, finely shredded
- S & P to taste
- 1 lb smoked sausage, sliced about 1/2" thick** (I used a sweet smoked German sausage this time)
- Once the potatoes are boiled, preheat the oven to 350°.
- In the same pot the potatoes were boiled in, add butter, milk, cheeses, carrots & green onions to potatoes. Mash to combine. I like to leave my potatoes chunky, if you prefer whipped - mash away.
- Season mashed potatoes with S & P.
- In a medium (5-qt ish) Dutch oven (sprayed with non-stick coating, layer mashed potatoes and sliced sausage until the Dutch oven is full, to the top with mashed potato- sausage goodness.
- Top with the remaining 2-3 T of grated cheese and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until hot and bubbly throughout.
- Remove from oven & garnish with remaining green onions.
- Serves 10-12 (with leftovers probably).
- *I removed the peels of the russets but left the peel on for the butter potatoes.
- **Turkey sausage is a great substitute if you are wanting to lighten-up.