Pan-Fried Ground Sausage and Potatoes with Onions

grounditaliansausagepotatoes This one-pan fried potatoes recipe cooks up perfectly every time in cast iron making this a quick meal and clean-up a breeze. There’s nothing like a hot pan of crispy potatoes and onions unless it’s loaded with ground Italian sausage and seasoned with the perfect amount of spice.

4 cups potatoes, sliced ¼" thick
1 onion, sliced a little thicker than the potatoes
cooking oil
1 lb ground Italian sausage
2 cloves garlic
½ tsp. dried rosemary
½ tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. dried thyme
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

To Serve:
½ cup Parmesan Reggiano, freshly shredded
eggs, poached

Slice the potatoes ¼" thick and the onions just a little thicker. Optionally you can soak the potatoes after slicing them for 10-15 minutes to remove some starch. This also helps them crisp up.

Drizzle the bottom of the cast-iron skillet with cooking oil and preheat until hot. Add the ground Italian sausage and onions over medium heat and cook until browned. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Add more oil until the entire bottom of the cast-iron pan is coated. Once hot, add the sliced potatoes in a single layer. Salt and pepper (liberally). Increase the heat to medium-high.

Allow the potatoes to brown for 2-3 minutes on the first side before moving them. Turn and brown the other side. Once browned, add the minced garlic. Cook just a minute or two until fragrant.

Remove the potatoes and drain if there is a lot of oil remaining in the bottom of the pan. If there isn’t extra oil, just add the sausage and onions back into the potato mixture.

Add the dried herbs and heat just until the ingredients are hot.

Season with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan cheese and top with a poached egg if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

Cook's Notes:

For your convenience, 1½ tsp. of Italian Seasoning blend can be exchanged for the herbs listed.
If you can, use a cast-iron skillet. Cast-iron can get really hot which is perfect for frying potatoes.
Cover the bottom of the skillet with neutral cooking oil such as vegetable or Canola oil.
Neutral cooking oil will not add flavours and it has a “high flash point” meaning you can safely heat it to a high temperature.
Add enough oil or the potatoes will stick to the pan and will not release when you want to turn them.
Heat the oil until HOT. You can test it by adding a small piece of the onion to the pan and if it sizzles you’re ready to cook. Remove it before adding the potatoes.
If your pan isn’t hot enough, your potatoes will just absorb the oil and will not crisp up.
Cut your potatoes all the same thickness. This will guarantee that they cook at the same rate.
Add the potatoes. Let them cook until browned before flipping them over. I like the control that I get with a fish spatula.
There isn’t any reason to keep flipping them. Doing so will not allow both sides to get crisp and you run the risk of breaking the potatoes.

Variations:

Top it with a perfectly poached egg. It transforms this Italian Sausage and Potato recipe into a rich dish that’s over the top.
Add peppers, mushrooms, or veggies you like to the potato and onion mix.
Use Italian link sausage and brown it like you did the ground sausage. I recommend slicing it to the size of the potatoes.
Instead of Parmesan cheese use Asiago.
Add scrambled eggs to the Italian Sausage and Potatoes for a breakfast scramble that will keep you full for hours.
Make it vegetarian: Just skip the sausage. Potato and onion skillet is amazing.