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    Home » Keto Dinner Ideas » Cheesy Smoked Sausage Casserole

    Published: Nov 23, 2021 by Carolyn

    Cheesy Smoked Sausage Casserole

    This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    5.0K shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This easy smoked sausage casserole is the perfect comfort food. Just pop everything into your slow cooker and in a few hours, you have a hearty side dish or a full keto meal. This post is sponsored by Cabot Creamery.

    Close up shot of smoked sausage cauliflower casserole in a white oval dish.

    I have a problem and this cheesy keto smoked sausage casserole is the perfect solution.

    Every year, right around this time, I get really caught up in creating delicious holiday recipes. So caught up, in fact, that I forget about feeding my family. 

    Wait, you mean they can’t just live off of keto Christmas cookies for a few months? They need some real food too?

    Okay, fine! Let’s just throw some cauliflower, chopped kielbasa, and some Cabot cheddar in the slow cooker and call it dinner. Now that’s a very good idea indeed!

    A white oval dish with smoked sausage casserole in front of a cutting board with cheddar cheese on it.

    Easy Dinner Inspiration

    I think it’s safe to say we can all use more easy keto dinner recipes during the holiday season. We’re all running around, prepping our Thanksgiving meals and shopping for loved ones. All while juggling work and family and other obligations.

    So a meal that practically cooks itself while you attend to other things? That’s absolutely priceless.

    Slow cooker smoked sausage casserole fits the bill perfectly. It’s what I like to call a “dump-and-run” recipe. Dump everything into your slow cooker, stir together, and walk away. That’s all you need to do.

    A wooden cutting board with Cabot Extra Sharp on top.

    Cabot for flavor!

    I make no bones about my love for Cabot cheddar. It is unparalleled for flavor, in my opinion, and I use it in everything from keto drop biscuits to keto cheese crackers.
     
    Their cheddar wins awards every year in all sorts of categories. But as anyone who has lived in the New England area knows, they are an exceptional company in a multitude of ways. As a cooperative, they are member-owned and member-controlled, so the farmers benefit directly.

    They also give back to the communities, and promote programs for volunteerism, fundraising, non-profits, and health and wellness.

    Is that why the cheese tastes so good? I can’t say for sure but I have my suspicions!

    Top down photo of the ingredients for smoked sausage casserole in the slow cooker.

    How to make cheesy smoked sausage casserole

    1. Chop the cauliflower into small pieces. I recommend less than 1 inch, which helps it cook through faster and more evenly. 
    2. Check the label on the smoked sausage. Some brands add a startling amount of sugar to kielbasa and other smoked sausage, but it really doesn’t need it. Look for sausage that has less than 2g of carbs per serving. 
    3. Use good sharp cheddar. Have I mentioned that I love Cabot???
    4. Toss everything together. Once you add all the ingredients into the slow cooker, give it a stir to mix it up.  
    5. Cook on low. It should only take 3 hours or so for the cauliflower to become tender. 
    6. Thicken the sauce. Since the cauliflower releases a fair bit of liquid, you can whisk in some glucomannan to thicken the sauce a bit. But this step is optional and it tastes delicious either way! 
    7. Add more cheddar at the end. You could mix in all the cheddar at the beginning but I love a delicious coating of gooey, melted cheese.
    A fork lifting out a bite of cheesy smoked sausage casserole, with gooey cheese strings.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I make this in an Instant Pot?

    You can but pressure cookers tend to force vegetables like cauliflower to release a lot of excess moisture. To avoid this casserole being too soupy, I recommend on cutting the sour cream in half and being ready to add more glucomannan.

    I don’t like smoked sausage, can I use anything else?

    Sure! Any pre-cooked sausage would be great, as would cooked chicken. I recommend pre-cooked for both ease and food safety, but you can always cook it yourself before making the casserole.

    Can I use frozen cauliflower?

    I don’t recommend frozen cauliflower for this recipe. The freezing and thawing process makes the cauliflower more mushy.

    I don’t like cauliflower, can I use a different vegetable?

    I haven’t tried this recipe with anything else but broccoli would work well and radishes might be good. I don’t recommend something like zucchini because of the high moisture content.

    How do you store Smoked Sausage Casserole?

    The leftovers should be stored in the fridge in a covered container, and will last up to 5 days. I recommend re-heating them gently in the microwave or the oven.

    A bowl of keto smoked sausage casserole with a forkful being lifted out of it.
    A fork lifting out a bite of cheesy smoked sausage casserole, with gooey cheese strings.

    Keto Smoked Sausage Casserole Recipe

    This easy smoked sausage casserole is the perfect comfort food. Just pop everything into your slow cooker and in a few hours, you have a hearty side dish or a full keto meal.
    4.97 from 28 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: dinner
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 3 hours hours 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 374kcal

    Ingredients

    • 24 ounces fresh cauliflower cut into small pieces (less than one inch)
    • 1 lb smoked kielbasa chopped
    • 8 ounces Cabot Extra Sharp grated, divided
    • ¾ cup sour cream
    • 2 tablespoon butter cut into small pieces
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • ½ teaspoon glucomannan optional
    • Chopped chives or parsley for garnish

    Instructions

    • Lightly grease a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker.
    • Add the cauliflower, kielbasa, 4 ounces of the cheddar, the sour cream, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper to the bottom. Toss to combine.
    • Cook on low for 3 hours. Stir to mix everything up well. If you want to thicken the sauce at this point, push the meat and cauliflower to one side and whisk the glucomannan into the liquid.
    • Sprinkle the remaining cheddar overtop and replace the lid. Cook another 30 to 60 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the cauliflower is fork tender.
    • Sprinkle with the chives or parsley and serve. You can serve it straight out of the slow cooker or transfer to another serving dish, as desired.
    Nutrition Facts
    Keto Smoked Sausage Casserole Recipe
    Amount Per Serving (1 cup, approximately)
    Calories 374 Calories from Fat 258
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 28.7g44%
    Carbohydrates 6.6g2%
    Fiber 1.7g7%
    Protein 15.8g32%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    5.0K shares

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    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Crystal says

      April 24, 2023 at 10:05 am

      Could broccoli be substituted for the cauliflower?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        April 24, 2023 at 11:13 am

        Sure, I think that would work

        Reply
    2. Jo says

      April 07, 2023 at 8:51 pm

      It was quite tasty and. I will probably make it again.
      I did make a few changes. I didn’t have sour cream, so I used about half cottage cheese and half my homemade yogurt. I also added some diced carrots and some frozen soy beans, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Then it didn’t seem to be cooking enough, do I put it in a casserole dish and finished it in the oven. The cauliflower was done just right and actually seemed almost like potatoes. I will probably bake it in the oven next time.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        April 08, 2023 at 8:59 am

        It likely wasn’t cooking through since you added so many other ingredients…

        Reply
    3. Jaime says

      March 29, 2023 at 9:00 am

      5 stars
      I don’t know how you did it…but it’s like you read my mind! i was looking for an easy crockpot recipe yesterday, as we were going to have quite a busy day. Then suddenly, I got an email from you…all about slow cooker recipes! So, of course, I had to try this one. I used andouille sausage and daikon radish instead of kielbasa and cauliflower since that’s what I had on hand. It turned out great! Really filling and very comforting. And VERY easy to make! Thanks for “saving the day” for me!

      Reply
    4. diane says

      March 28, 2023 at 2:55 pm

      How long would you cook this in the Instant Pot?

      Reply
    5. Laura says

      March 24, 2023 at 11:50 am

      I just made this and it was very good. Will definitely be a go to recipe! Thank you for sharing! I did make it in my Instant Pot because I pretty much use it for everything (I live in an RV) I did “0” minutes and it came out great.

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        September 08, 2023 at 5:39 am

        Did you have to add extra liquid to allow it to come to pressure?

        Reply
    6. Deb says

      March 20, 2023 at 5:48 pm

      5 stars
      I added a little cream cheese and fresh mushrooms and didn’t have to thicken with anything else. Delicious!!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        March 20, 2023 at 6:17 pm

        Yum!

        Reply
    7. Sharon a Webb says

      March 20, 2023 at 5:08 am

      Might I use xanthan gum as that is what I have on hand? Would the amount be the same?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        March 20, 2023 at 6:20 pm

        Yes.

        Reply
    8. Bobbi says

      March 07, 2023 at 11:06 am

      5 stars
      Love the taste and so easy.

      Reply
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