This Mexican Potato Sausage Casserole is one of my go-to recipes whenever I have people coming for brunch or guests staying the weekend. Easy and quick to assemble, it is a meal that will fill everyone up and put a smile on their faces. I can make it the night before if I want to save even more time in the morning.
I met the most wonderful woman at my first IACP* conference in Portland. A talented, young, energetic chef just brimming with excitement and ideas. We kept in touch via email and Facebook, our friendship has grown over the years. I was excited when she came out for a visit and couldn’t wait to catch up!
When I heard she was coming, my first thought was what in the heck am I going to cook for her? After all, she’s a chef and that can be intimidating, right? Nah, she is just like anyone else, a person who loves good food and enjoys it when someone else does the cooking for her! So the focus will be on things I can have ready to go plus some fun things we can cook together.
One thing I am definitely making is today’s recipe. Really easy to assemble, warm and comforting, something everyone loves, and a dish that can be modified easily for special diets, it has become one of our family’s favorites. While this is the absolute perfect breakfast meal, don’t forget that you can also serve it for brunch, lunch, or dinner. Talk about a flexible dish!!
I like to use plain bulk sausage in this recipe. Be sure it is gluten-free! Or for a lighter version, use part ground dark turkey. Why dark turkey meat? Because it stays much moister than the white breast meat. And no matter how well you drain the sausage, you will often wind up with excess fat in the casserole, and sometimes it rises to the surface of the casserole after baking. Use paper towels or napkins to carefully absorb it.
This entire casserole can be made the night before, covered, and refrigerated. Bake it in the morning and the house will be filled with appetizing aromas. When the house smells good, you wake up with a smile on your face, just knowing that it is going to be a great day!
Enjoy your delicious Mexican Potato Sausage Casserole for brunch, breakfast, or supper and have a wonderful weekend!
* International Association of Culinary Professionals
Key Ingredients for Mexican Potato Sausage Casserole:
- Raw sausage links or bulk sausage
- Onion, bell pepper, green chiles, green onion
- Olive oil, flour, oregano, cumin
- Milk, sour cream, salt & pepper
- Red or Yukon Gold potatoes or frozen O’Brien potatoes
- Grated sharp cheddar or pepper Jack cheese
PRO Tip:
The easiest way to remove raw sausage from link casings is to slice a line lengthwise down one side and then holding an end, pull the casing off in one piece.
PRO Tip:
If you want to lower the fat content and make this casserole a bit healthier, use a combination of dark turkey and pork sausage. The turkey tends to dry out but use the dark meat which is moister than the white breast meat.
How to make a Mexican Potato Sausage Casserole:
- Cook sausage until browned, breaking up clumps; transfer to paper towel-lined plate
- Cook the onion, bell pepper, and green chile in the same pan; mix in the flour, oregano, and cumin, cooking 1 minute
- Stir in milk and sour cream, cooking until thickened, stirring occasionally; season with salt and pepper
- Combine the sausage with the vegetable cream sauce, and 1 cup of the cheese; mix well
- Spread potatoes in a buttered 9×13-inch baking pan; pour the sausage/cream sauce mixture over the potatoes and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top
- Cover and bake until potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes
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Gluten-Free Tips:
Use a gluten-free flour blend, plain GF flour, or cornstarch to thicken the sauce. If you are using frozen potatoes, Ore-Ida brand of O’Brien potatoes is gluten-free.
Mexican Potato Sausage Casserole (Gluten Free)
This delicious and easy casserole can be made the night before and reheated in the morning for a quick breakfast treat. To make it even easier, you can use frozen O’Brien potatoes in place of raw potatoes.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lb raw sausage links or bulk sausage, crumbled
- 1 medium onion, chopped finely
- 1 small red bell pepper, chopped finely
- 1 to 2 tbsp minced green chiles, fresh or canned (drained)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 cups milk
- 1 lb small red or Yukon gold potatoes, chopped finely, or frozen O’Brien potatoes (partially thawed)
- 1-1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese or pepper Jack, divided
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
- Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Cook sausage in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.
Remove all but 1 tbsp of the fat in skillet. Add onion, bell peppers, and chiles and cook about 3 minutes until onion and peppers have softened. Mix in flour, oregano, and cumin and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture thickens and comes to just under a boil, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. Stir the cooked sausage and 1 cup of the cheese into the sauce.
Spread the potatoes in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. At this point you can cover and refrigerate overnight if desired.
Bake, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling around the edges and cooked through. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before scooping out servings. Sprinkle the tops with green onions and cilantro.
NOTE: I made my version dairy-free for my husband, using a plant-based milk and leaving off the sour cream and cheese. Feel free to make adjustments to suit your family's tastes or requirements.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1053Total Fat: 74gSaturated Fat: 34gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 223mgSodium: 1786mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 57g
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This post was first shared in Jan 2011. The article was updated in 2020.
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The Food Hound says
This is totally up the BH’s alley!! I LOVE make-ahead casseroles, but we have more dinner guests than brunch guests, so I would serve this for dinner. Definitely comfort food!
Jane Bonacci, The Heritage Cook says
This is perfect for dinner or breakfast. Just let me know when and I’ll be there, LOL!