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.
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!
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.
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!
How to make cheesy smoked sausage casserole
- Chop the cauliflower into small pieces. I recommend less than 1 inch, which helps it cook through faster and more evenly.
- 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.
- Use good sharp cheddar. Have I mentioned that I love Cabot???
- Toss everything together. Once you add all the ingredients into the slow cooker, give it a stir to mix it up.
- Cook on low. It should only take 3 hours or so for the cauliflower to become tender.
- 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!
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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.
I don’t recommend frozen cauliflower for this recipe. The freezing and thawing process makes the cauliflower more mushy.
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.
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.
Keto Smoked Sausage Casserole Recipe
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.
Marianne says
I haven’t made this yet but have a deep love for your Cabbage and Kielbasa soup. I am wondering if this can be made with plant cheese. We are avoiding dairy but I am concerned that the long cooking time might destroy the cheese. Do you have any insights?
Carolyn says
I honestly can’t say since I don’t know how well it melts.
Rebecca Miller says
Is it possible to make this not in a slow cooker? Thanks! Looks delicious!
Carolyn says
Yes… search my recipes for the ham and cauli casserole. It goes in the oven and you could follow those instructions!
Martha says
I am making this as I type this, I’m curious about the moisture or at this time, lack of because it mentions thickening it up later.
Have I missed something as far as fluids to be added or does the cauliflower do that?
Carolyn says
Please read step 3 carefully. No added liquid, the cauliflower will produce plenty.
Anjala says
Could I use frozen cauliflower instead? It’s easier for me to get that than fresh cauliflower.
Carolyn says
I have a feeling it’s going to get too soft in the cooking process.
Marla Baker says
Can I substitute arrowroot or xanthan gum for the glucomannon?
Carolyn says
Xanthan gum works.
Lynne Costello says
Great flavor but we wanted thicker sauce. Any ideas other than the glucomannan???
Carolyn says
More cheese, or even some cream cheese.
Lynne Johnson says
Can I use psyllium husk powder instead of glucomannan?
Carolyn says
Sorry, that’s not a good replacement.
Catherine says
Can I cook this on high? Got dinner started late ????
Jessica says
I cooked mine on high earlier and it worked great!
Nikki Forster says
My daughter-in-law made this for us last night and it was delicious! There were no leftovers. This goes on my “definitely make again” list. Thank you Carolyn for all these great recipes!
Lisa A says
I thought this was going to be good… but i was wrong! It was fabulous!!! Definitely going to be a regular!
Carolyn says
Now that makes me happy to hear!
Christine says
Just to remind: Instant Pot can slow cook, too.
Fatima says
I made this last night and we all had seconds!
Susan says
Hey Carolyn, you really outdid yourself with this one. We had this for dinner tonight both really liked it. For me, comfort food is stuff that tastes really good, and this fills that bill. Plus it’s simple to put together. It’s especially good for cold weather dinners. I’ll be making it fairly frequently. Thanks for a real keeper recipe.
Jeffrey says
I just made this last night. I added my own “tweaks” to it, but the base recipe was the same. I used a food processor to chop up an onion, some chilis, tomatoes, a jalapeno, and a few garlic bulbs. I also added black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. As for cheese, I put in two packs of white cheddar and a pack of cheddar jack. As for the sausages, I went with 8 Johnsonville chicken chipotle sausages. It was yummy!
Anna says
So so good!! And easy! Thank you for saving dinner!
Lily says
This was so comforting and delicious, easy for any weeknight, we loved this recipe!
Melissa says
Great recipe – easy to make a very filling!
Betsy says
This is so easy and delicious!! LOVE, love, love Cabot cheese! Far and away one of the best cheese companies in the United States! I get it whenever I can because it’s so good. Love having it here in this casserole. Absolutely delicious! The whole thing is so delicious! 100%
Christy Thornton says
Hi Caroline – I’m a huge fan – my blood sugar has greatly reduced thanks to your recipes. I’m now the proud owner of 3 ADIDAF cookbooks!!
I don’t have a slow cooker – do you have a feel for the temp/time to oven cook this yummy sounding recipe? TYVM
Carolyn says
Follow the basic method in this recipe: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-ham-and-cauliflower-casserole/
Christy Thornton says
Perfect – thank you!
Isarma says
As mentioned above, Instant Pots have a slow cooker setting as well, just don’t use the pressure settings or it brings out more moisture, as Carolyn mentioned.
Nic says
I made this with leftover andouille from your jambalaya, and added Cajun spices and a bit of onion to make a spicier version! Cheesy deliciousness!
Carolyn says
Well that’s brilliant! Yum!
Susan says
You really got me with this one. It went directly into my recipe app, rather than going through my usual vetting process. I can’t make it for this cooking stint (my husband and I alternate cooking every two weeks), but it is definitely going into my next meal plan. I can leave all the sweets and baking, but this recipe really calls to me.
Carolyn says
Ooooh, enjoy!