Hog butchering is often done during the winter on Amish farmsteads. The job is messy, tedious, and labor-intensive. Who wants to do that in the middle of July? So the big job of butchering hogs is saved for a cold winter’s day, usually in February or March. A whole family will band together to tackle it or an Amish church will do it. It’s not a pretty scene but, in the end, they’ll come away with all the hams, sausage, and chops needed for a year until it is time for the next “butchering day.” The ground sausage will end up in dishes like this Hearty Amish Winter Sausage and Potato Casserole
Elizabeth Coblentz, the original Amish Cook, wrote about hog butchering in an early column. She wrote about it with graphic accuracy. Back in those days I would try to sell the column to newspapers by sending a sales packet with sample Amish Cook writings in it. I sent one of my packets to Ron Krueger, food editor of The Flint Journal in Michigan. He couldn't be persuaded to subscribe to The Amish Cook (a huge disappointment to me at the time) but he wanted to run one column, the one about hog butchering because he found it "fascinating." So, with my blessing, he published it. And that concluded the column's briefest of runs in The Flint Journal.
One of the most prized meats to be scored on butchering day is just regular ol’ sausage. Ground sausage can be added to soups, chilis, casseroles, and so much more. It can be blended with hamburger, which allows the supply of each to last longer. It can even be blended with venison.
📋 Step-by-Step Sausage Casserole
You can use store-bought bulk sausage for this hearty Amish Winter Sausage and Potato Casserole. That is what my parents did. You can also cut the recipe down, which is what my parents did. They cut it by two-thirds. And you can vary it. The recipe seems very heavy on peas for my taste, if I were making it I’d probably up the amount of sausage while reducing – but definitely not eliminating – the peas.
This recipe has very basic ingredients, typical of Amish cooking, but the flavor is super.
When you are browning the sausage you can add some extras to it if you wish. For instance, you could add in some garlic or fresh parsley.
The sausage fries up very well and fresh sausage will fill your house with a wonderful smell! You can use bulk sausage or ground pork for this sausage potato casserole recipe. You could pork sausage, but also chicken sausage or turkey sausage. Kielbasa, andouille, or Italian sausage also works well in this recipe. Doesn't really matter what type of sausage you use.Use a large skillet like the one above to do the frying.
Use a non-stick cooking spray in your baking dish. We just put the casserole in uncovered, but you can cover with aluminum foil during baking if you don't want the top to get too done.
Bake until the cheese is nice and golden! Leftovers should be put into an air-tight container and stored in the fridge. I like a sharp cheddar cheese with this recipe, but use whatever you like. Adding sour cream to the casserole mixture also gives a nice flavor.
You can see this casserole is choc-full of peas and potatoes. If I were making it, I might reduce both of those and have more sausage and cheese. But you can experiment with proportions.
This is definitely a recipe that is popular in Amish kitchens during winter!
So, here is an amazing recipe that comes from an Amish cook in Indiana for a hearty winter-with-a-splash-of-spring sausage casserole (the splash of spring are the peas!)
🐖 More Amish Sausage Recipes
Pure comfort food!
This is a really hearty, filling casserole also!
Simple Dinner Sausage
Easy!
Delicious!
🖨️ Full Recipe
Amish Winter Sausage and Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sausage crumbled
- 8 large potatoes peeled and sliced
- 2 quarts peas
- 2 small onions diced
- 1 tablespoon sakt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
- 4 soup cans water
- 1 cup cheese grated cheddar
Instructions
- Brown sausage and onions in frying pan.
- Peel and slice potatoes thinly.
- Mix meat and veggies, including the potatoes and put into a baking dish. Drain the sausage first.
- Mix soup and water with salt and pepper and pour over meat and vegetable mixture.
- Top with cheese.
- Bake at 350 for 1 hour covered then uncover and bake for 1 hour more or until potatoes are done.
Genny
Happy new year Kevin to you and your family. I wanted to let you know I took your advice and tried mrs freshly Reese cupcakes and they are the best store bought cupcakes I've ever tried. Thank you so much for mentioning them to your readers I won't by no others . I love them and they are not skimpy on the peanut butter filling once again thank you. I can't stop eating them !!! Lol
Kevin Williams
Glad you got to try them, Genny, they are good...I WON'T be buying them again for awhile because I'll just eat them - fast. LOL! But they are my new favorites!
Genny
Kevin I'm eating one right this moment for dessert. And I will eat another later this evening. Ha ha ha . I can't get over how good they are!!! Thank you again.
Alanna M QUEENER
Hi Kevin, Happy New Year Blessings to you and your family. Thanks for always sharing all the wonderful stories and updates that you give us. I really enjoy all the recipes and getting to try new things.
I hope that you have a wonderful 2024.
Alanna
Pam
Kevin, Your instructions for this recipe doesn't make sense. Step #3 you mention top with cheese ,then you say top with cheese again in step#5 there is only 1 cup of cheese
used !
Pam
Kevin Williams
Sorry for the error, Pam, I corrected it now!
Rose
Line #3 in the directions doesn't make sense.
Kevin Williams
Sorry for the error, I corrected it.