Slow Cooker Sausage and Potatoes O’Brien Soup

This slow cooker sausage and potatoes O'Brien soup is the definition of set-it-and-forget-it comfort food. With just five ingredients and five minutes of prep, you can have a rich, creamy, and hearty soup that tastes like it simmered all day—because it did.

The sausage infuses the broth with savory flavor, while the potatoes and peppers soften into tender bites. Cream cheese adds a velvety richness that makes every spoonful satisfying.

Potatoes O'Brien—diced potatoes with red and green bell peppers—are the secret shortcut in this slow cooker soup. They add color, texture, and a mild sweetness that pairs beautifully with savory sausage and fragrant sage. The beauty of this recipe is that everything goes into the slow cooker at once: no browning, no sautéing, no extra dishes.

Just layer the ingredients, set the timer, and let the slow cooker work its magic. The result is a thick, creamy soup that's substantial enough to be a meal on its own. Serve it with crusty bread or a simple green salad for a complete dinner that everyone will love.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

Cooking the raw sausage directly in the slow cooker allows its fat and juices to render into the broth, creating a deeply savory base without any extra steps.

As the sausage cooks slowly, it releases its seasonings and natural goodness, infusing every spoonful with flavor. This method also means the sausage stays tender and juicy, rather than drying out from browning first.

The cream cheese melts slowly into the hot broth, creating a silky, rich texture that coats the potatoes and sausage. Because it's added at the beginning, it has time to break down completely, avoiding any lumps.

The potatoes O'Brien cook gently in the broth, absorbing the flavors while remaining intact, so you get soft, creamy potatoes with a slight bite from the peppers.

Notes and substitutions

Potatoes O'Brien are a convenient frozen or refrigerated mix of diced potatoes, red and green bell peppers, and often onions. They're available in most grocery stores, usually in the frozen vegetable aisle. If you can't find them, you can substitute with 4 cups of diced russet potatoes plus 1/2 cup each of diced onion and bell pepper.

Use a good-quality bulk pork sausage—either mild or spicy, depending on your preference. The sausage should be raw, not pre-cooked, so it cooks in the slow cooker and flavors the broth. For a lighter version, try ground turkey sausage, but note that it may be drier, so you might want to add a little olive oil.

• bulk pork sausage: Ground turkey or chicken sausage (use a mild or spicy variety, and add a little oil if lean)
• potatoes O'Brien: Frozen diced hash browns with peppers and onions, or 4 cups diced russet potatoes plus 1/2 cup diced onion and 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
• dried sage: 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped (add in the last 30 minutes of cooking)
• chicken broth: Vegetable broth for a meatless version (use plant-based sausage and cream cheese alternatives to keep it vegetarian)

Equipment

• Slow cooker (6-quart)
• Cutting board
• Chef's knife
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Wooden spoon