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This crockpot swamp potatoes recipe is pure food magic – tender baby potatoes, crisp green beans, and smoky sausage slow-cooked together with Cajun seasoning into one incredibly savory side dish. It’s a must-make for the holidays and will dazzle your guests!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- This hearty side dish serves 8-10 people generously, making it ideal for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any large family gathering.
- The smoky, savory flavors complement turkey, ham, prime rib, or any main dish perfectly. The smoked sausage adds that rich, meaty depth that makes this way more interesting than plain green bean casseroles, while the tender potatoes make it substantial enough to satisfy even the biggest appetite! (Who is usually my husband.)
- Breathe easy, because you can just set it and forget it! While your oven is packed with turkey and other dishes, this cooks away peacefully in the slow cooker, freeing up precious space and your attention for different preparations, or herding screaming kids running through your kitchen as you try to get a full-scale meal onto your beautifully set table.
Pro Party Move!
Because this is the ultimate holiday side dish, you want to pair it with just the right main course. Some popular suggestions include Crockpot Turkey and Stuffing, Red Eye Gravy with Country Ham, or a Garlic and Herb Sous Vide Turkey.
Other sides that go well with this are Sweet Potato Cornbread with Cinnamon Honey Butter, The Best Paleo Stuffing (Gluten-Free, Grain Free), Creamed Onions, and Truffle Mac and Cheese.
And then you can wow thirsty guests with these refreshing Raspberry Cocktails with Rosemary!
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- Cut your potatoes uniformly for even cooking. Whether you’re using baby potatoes or quartered regular ones, try to keep all pieces roughly the same size. This ensures everything finishes cooking at the same time, so you don’t end up with some pieces that are tender and others that are still firm.
- Don’t lift that lid too often! Every time you peek, you’re releasing heat and extending the cooking time. Trust the process and let your slow cooker work its magic. You’ll know it’s ready when your house smells incredible and the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Don’t just toss everything together in the crockpot. Layer the potatoes on the bottom since they take the longest to cook, then add your seasonings and aromatics, followed by the sausage, and finish with the green beans on top. This creates natural layers of flavor that develop beautifully over the cooking time.
- While you can absolutely use canned green beans in a pinch, fresh ones hold their texture so much better during the long cooking time and give you that hard-to-beat crispy-tender texture that tastes so good!
Frequently Asked Questions
For sure, it’s actually a good idea when planning a holiday gathering. You can layer everything in your slow cooker insert, cover it, and refrigerate overnight. Just pop it into your slow cooker base in the morning and you’re good to go.
You can make your own with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, and a pinch of cayenne. Or just use what you have on hand – this recipe is very forgiving!
Fresh is what I love best, but frozen will work fine. Don’t thaw them first, just add them during the last 2-3 hours of cooking so they don’t get mushy.
More Holiday Side Dishes
- Lobster Escargot
- Maple Roasted Acorn Squash
- Creamy Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
- Mom’s Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Perfect Shrimp Cocktail with Homemade Cocktail Sauce
- Easy 7 Layer Salad with Homemade Dressing
- Stuffed Artichokes
- Butternut Squash Casserole
- Eggplant Lasagna
- Pan Fried Potatoes
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
- 2-Ingredient Bacon-Wrapped Dates (with Stuffed Option)
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Crockpot Swamp Potatoes
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker
Ingredients
Vegetables and Protein
- 2-3 pounds small baby red or gold potatoes halved, or 2 pounds yellow potatoes, quartered
- 12-16 ounces fresh green beans trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces, or 2 cans green beans, well-drained
- 12-16 ounces smoked sausage sliced – kielbasa, andouille, or any smoked sausage
Seasonings and Aromatics
- ½ cup butter 1 stick, or slightly less if preferred
- 1 large onion or 2 small, diced – about 2 cups
- 1 packet onion soup mix optional, but adds savory depth
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil optional, for extra flavor
Spices
- 1 ½ teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder if not using onion soup mix
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Place 2-3 pounds potatoes at the bottom of the slow cooker. Scatter 2 cups diced onion on top.
- Sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder (if using), 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Dot with 1/2 cup butter pieces and drizzle with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil if using.
- Add 12-16 ounces sliced sausage over the seasoned potato-onion layer.
- Arrange 12-16 ounces fresh (or drained canned) green beans on top. Sprinkle 1 packet onion soup mix over everything if using.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or HIGH for 4 hours, until potatoes are tender and flavors meld.
- Stir gently to combine before serving. The dish should have a stew-like texture.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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