Slow Cooker Carolina Gold Sausage and Potatoes Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Before beginning, ensure that you have washed and scrubbed your gold potatoes thoroughly to remove any dirt. Peel the yellow onions and slice them into half-moon shapes, ensuring they are roughly the same thickness as the potato cubes for even cooking.

Slice your smoked sausage into even, coin-shaped rounds. Having all your ingredients measured and ready to go before you start layering them in the slow cooker insert makes the assembly process smooth and efficient, allowing for a stress-free start to your dinner preparation.

Instructions

Layering the ingredients

1. 1Assemble the ingredients
   Place the sliced smoked sausage into the base of the slow cooker. Add the cubed gold potatoes and sliced onions on top of the sausage in an even layer.
   Look for Sausage slices cover the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
   Tip Ensure the sausage coins are spread out to create a flavorful base.

At this stage, you should see a structured arrangement in your slow cooker insert. The smoked sausage should form a solid base, topped by a neat layer of cubed potatoes and onion slices.

Everything should look clean and organized before you add the seasonings and sauce, ensuring that the flavors will distribute properly as they begin to heat up and release their juices during the slow cooking phase.

Adding the sauce

2. 2Season and add sauce
   Sprinkle the brown sugar and paprika evenly over the potatoes and onions. Pour the yellow mustard barbecue sauce over the entire mixture to ensure everything is well-coated.
   Look for The sauce coats the ingredients without needing to stir.
   Tip Pour the sauce slowly to cover as much of the surface as possible.

Once the brown sugar, paprika, and mustard barbecue sauce are added, the surface of the dish should look vibrant and well-coated. The mustard sauce should begin to seep down into the crevices between the sausage and potatoes. You should not see any dry spots of sugar or paprika on the surface; if you do, a very gentle drizzle of sauce or a tiny bit of water will help ensure everything is moistened.

Slow cooking to perfection

3. 3Slow cook and serve
   Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours. Once cooked, ensure the sausage has reached an internal temperature of at least 160°F (71°C). Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken slightly.
   Look for The potatoes are fork-tender and the sauce is bubbling.
   Safe temperature 160°F (71°C) internal temperature (ground meat)
   Tip Avoid opening the lid frequently during cooking to maintain consistent heat.

By the end of the cooking time, the kitchen should be filled with a savory, sweet, and tangy aroma. The potatoes will appear tender and slightly translucent, having absorbed the golden color of the mustard sauce. The sausage should look plump and juicy, and the sauce at the bottom of the slow cooker should be thickened and aromatic, ready to be served immediately after a short five-minute rest.

Common mistakes

A common mistake is overcrowding the slow cooker, which can lead to uneven cooking and excess liquid that dilutes the sauce. Stick to the recommended quantities to maintain the right ratio of ingredients.

Another error is stirring the dish during the cooking process; the layers are designed to steam together, and frequent opening of the lid causes significant heat loss, which increases the total cooking time and can affect the final texture of the potatoes and the reduction of the sauce.

How to tell it’s done

The dish is considered done when the gold potatoes are fork-tender, meaning they offer no resistance when pierced. The sausage should be heated through to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).

The sauce should be thickened, glossy, and coating the ingredients evenly. If the potatoes are still firm, continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes, but check frequently to avoid overcooking the sausage, which can lose its texture if left on heat for too long.

• Ground meat: 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part