MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - 5-INGREDIENT SLOW-COOKER CABBAGE, POTATOES AND SMOKED SAUSAGE

Happy 1st Day of June! Can't believe we are already six months into the year, can you?

Today I am starting with a comforting hot bowl of nourishment, especially as my dear other half came down with the worst cough and cold that he has had in I can’t remember when. He usually never gets sick. As I write this on Friday the 29th, he was finally able to eat something. This bowl of soup he said, felt great for what ailed him. The cold came on very fast. If we had more warning, it would have been a chicken noodle soup, but this was very welcomed. I had put it together the day before. As I look outside, the sun is shining and it feels warmer. Perhaps this is the last bowl of hot soup for a while.

Today’s recipe comes from a food blog called Cooktop Cove, contributing author Morgan Reed. You can find the original recipe at this link. It has been a while since I used the slow-cooker. It is a good thing getting started on dinner early in the day. We used the linguiça that I mentioned a few days ago. It is Gregg’s favorite Portuguese sausage, one of his nostalgia foods from childhood. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. I had it in my head that it was very spicy but didn’t find it so. It was delicious and flavorful. You can use your favorite smoked sausage of course.

Slow-Cooker 5-Ingredient Sausage, Cabbage and Potato 

Serves 4

1 pound smoked sausage or kielbasa, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds (we used the linguiça)

1 small head green cabbage (about 2 pounds), cored and chopped into 1 to 2-inch pieces

1-1/2 pounds yellow or red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks (I used Yukon Baby Gold from Wegmans, so small I didn’t need to peel them or cut them into chunks, leaving them whole)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

Layer the potatoes in the bottom of a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker. This gives them direct contact with the heat so they cook through and soften into that tender, almost creamy texture  

Scatter the chopped cabbage on top of the potatoes. Don’t worry if it seems like a lot as the cabbage will reduce in volume as it cooks.

Arrange the sliced smoked sausage over the cabbage in an even layer. As the sausage heats, its fat and seasoning will drip down and flavor the vegetables underneath, much like an old-fashioned stovetop braise.

Dot the butter pieces evenly over the sausage and vegetables. Pour the chicken broth around (not directly on top of) the layers so you don’t wash off all that surface seasoning  Sprinkle with the salt and black pepper.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork, and the cabbage is soft and glossy. (I checked after 6 hours and everything was cooked perfectly.) The broth should be rich and lightly buttery, with a few flecks of black pepper visible throughout.

Gently stir from the bottom to the top to mix the sausage, cabbage and potatoes without breaking them up too much. Taste and adjust seasoning with a bit more salt and pepper if needed.

Ladle into warm bowls, making sure each serving gets plenty of broth, sausage, cabbage and potatoes. Finish with an extra grind of black pepper at the table if you enjoy lots of pepper. 

I am repeating the host’s variations and tips:

For a slightly smoky, old-world flavor, add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds along with the salt and pepper. 

If you prefer a lighter dish, you can reduce the butter to 2 tablespoons and add an extra 1/2 cup of broth. The texture will be a little less rich but still satisfying. 

To make this more vegetable-forward, stir in a couple of handfuls of shredded carrots or sliced onions under the cabbage layer - this keeps the ingredient list simple while adding natural sweetness.

For a tangier, more German-inspired version, replace 1/2 cup of the chicken broth with apple cider or add 1 to 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar at the end of cooking.

If you are cooking for a smaller household, this recipe reheats nicely on the stovetop over low heat. Add a splash of broth or water to loosen the broth and keep everything moist. 

Leftovers also make a hearty next-day lunch spooned over rice or mashed potatoes, stretching those humble ingredients even further, just like your grandmother would have intended. 

We served with a nice crusty roll.

I added a spoonful of sour cream on the last day of eating this soup.

There were leftovers for the next couple of days and lasted through the weekend.

Here is the full address of the recipe if you prefer to copy and paste.  

https://cooktopcove.com/2026/02/27/grandma-made-this-best-a-comforting-hearty-meal-that-turns-affordable-ingredients-into-gold

Here is a similar recipe at the same website but without the potatoes.

https://cooktopcove.com/2026/03/23/my-aunt-always-serves-this-classic-comfort-food-when-the-spring-weather-is-still-biting-toss-4-simple-ingredients-into-the-pot-for-an-insta

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day and…