Cheesy Kielbasa Skillet (Printable Version)
Smoky kielbasa, tender potatoes, and melted cheddar in a quick one-skillet dinner ready in 35 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 14 oz kielbasa sausage, sliced into ½-inch rounds
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1 lb baby potatoes, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Dairy
06 - 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
07 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
→ Seasonings
08 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
09 - ½ tsp black pepper
10 - ¼ tsp salt, or to taste
11 - ½ tsp dried thyme
→ Optional Garnish
12 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
# Directions:
01 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced kielbasa and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
02 - Add the butter to the skillet. Sauté the diced onion and bell pepper for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in the sliced potatoes and season with smoked paprika, black pepper, salt, and dried thyme. Cover the skillet and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
04 - Return the browned kielbasa to the skillet and toss to combine. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Cover and cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly.
05 - Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately while hot.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Everything cooks in one skillet, which means dishes stay manageable even on your most exhausting nights.
- The smoky paprika and kielbasa create a flavor that feels like you spent hours when you barely spent thirty minutes.
02 -
- Do not rush the potato cooking step by cranking the heat because the bottoms will char before the centers soften and you will end up with crunchy raw potatoes under burnt edges.
- Covering the skillet while the potatoes cook is the trick that changed everything for me since the trapped steam cooks them evenly without needing extra oil.
03 -
- Slice all your vegetables and sausage before you turn on the stove because once things start moving they move fast and you do not want to be dicing onions with one hand while flipping potatoes with the other.
- Use a skillet with a tight fitting lid since the steam is what makes the potatoes tender without turning them into mush or drying them out.