Kielbasa and Potatoes Skillet

I thought by adding the word “skillet” to the name of this recipe, it would make it sound more hearty and homey. But really, all you have to do is fry up sliced kielbasa and baby potatoes, with some onions in a pan. This dish is easy to make and requires simple available ingredients, but if you master the “technique” correctly, it almost cooks itself and ends up being a flavorful crowd pleaser.  I took it to a potluck, and it played nicely with all the other food there, and I came back home with an empty platter.

It’s that time of year where the air is crisp and you need a sizzling sausage and potato skillet in your life anyhow, so let’s get to it, shall we?

This dish was born after I spied these cute little assorted baby potatoes at Costco. But if you can’t find beautiful purple potatoes like mine, just use a mix of baby red and white potatoes.  It all tastes the same anyways.  Hmm… I wonder how it would taste with sweet potatoes… probably really amazing.  I’ll have to try that next time.

I pulled out my trusty food scale to weigh out 2 lbs of potatoes, but you can always eyeball it or use as little or as many potatoes as you want.

Then slice them into thick-ish slices.  Thick-ish isn’t a word, but that’s ok.  You get my drift.  Don’t make them too thin or thick.

You know that the freezer is my best friend.  I often keep a supply of kielbasa in my freezer for anytime I need an emergency protein.  It defrosts on your counter in minutes, and you can eat it with just about everything.

Slice up the kielbalsa into thick-ish slices.  Just try to make your slices the same size as your potato slices for aesthetic reasons.  I love how this dish ends up looking like a pile of sausage and potato coins.  I can totally hear Homer Simpson’s voice in my head saying “mmm… sausage and potato coins… (drool)…”

Next grab three big onions and slice them.

In a large skillet or saute pan, add your olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the onions, along with a couple pinches of salt.  Saute them for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to caramelize.

Then drizzle in a combination of soy sauce and balsamic vinegar.  This will add a little savory tartness to the onions which will punch up the overall flavor of the dish.

Cook for 2 more minutes and dump them out into a bowl.

Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, and place back on medium high heat, with a little more oil.  Then you can add the potato and kielbasa slices.  Stir, and cook for a couple minutes until you can hear everything sizzle.

Then cover with a lid and turn your heat down to medium-low.  Cook for 20 minutes, low and slow, making sure to toss and stir occasionally.  The whole point of this is to allow the fat from the kielbasa to render and infuse the potatoes while they cook together.  If it’s getting brown too quickly, you can add a splash of water.

You’re done when the kielbasa is glistening and browned, and the potatoes are tender.

Add back the onions and toss together.  Taste a potato and season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Lastly, chop up some scallions.  You need this punch of freshness, and the green color finishes the look of the dish.  If you’re not a fan of scallions, you can use parsley instead.

And there you have it.  Nothing to it.  You’re ready to take this to your potluck party.

What do you eat this lovely dish with? How about a light salad, corn on the cob, or steamed veggies? Or hey, let’s not kids ourselves…you can bust out the pasta, rice, or toasty garlic bread too.  It’s all pretty awesome.

So grab a pan and whip up some kielbasa and potatoes.  I’ll see you later home skillet!

Print Recipe

Kielbasa and Potatoes Skillet

Potatoes and kielbasa are cooked together in one skillet and that's a good thing.

Author: Chef Julie Yoon

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Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 3 big onions sliced thick
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1- ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 lbs of kielbasa sliced
• 2 lbs assorted baby potatoes sliced same size as kielbasa
• Chopped scallions for garnish
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

• Heat some olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the onion slices, along with a couple pinches of salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Cook for 2 minutes more, and transfer to a bowl.
• Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, and add a little more olive oil, along with the kielbasa and potato slices. Cook over medium-high heat for a couple minutes. Cover with a lid and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let the fat from the kielbasa slices render and flavor the potatoes. If the potatoes or kielbasa start to brown too quickly, add a splash of water and continue to cook. Cook until the kielbasa is browned and the potatoes are tender. Add back the onions and toss together. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with chopped scallions.