Smothered Potatoes with Sausage and Tasso Cooked Up in Rice Cooker

8 servings Prep: 15 m Cook: 1 h 12 m Total: 1 h 27 m Beginner
Smothered Potatoes with Sausage and Tasso Cooked Up in Rice Cooker
The ease of this recipe impressed my husband. He was surprised we could press the button, leave and go Stine Lumber and not have to worry about anything burning and then come back home and the meal is done. Smothered potatoes with smoked sausage, tasso, garlic, and onions all cooked perfectly in the rice cooker. I actually used only half the butter called for in the recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound smoked link sausage, sliced into bite-size pieces and browned
  • 1/2 pound (8 oz) smoked pork tasso, diced large & browned lightly
  • 2 pounds white or red potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 7 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning, or to taste
  • 1 stick butter, 8 oz chopped
  • 1 oz envelope onion soup mix
  • 2 cups water

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to rice cooker and stir to combine.
  2. Cover and cook. If your rice cooker has options of boil/simmer, white rice, whole grain, or steam cook, use the “white rice” setting.
  3. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. When we made this, the recipe cooked for 52 minutes and made it up to the 6-cup level.
  4. Optional variation - Throw in a can of Rotel for extra flavor and a little heat.

Common Problems and Solutions

Q: Can I skip browning the sausage and tasso first?

A: While you can add them without browning, lightly browning the meats first develops deeper flavor and renders some of the fat. If you're short on time, you can skip this step and the dish will still turn out well, just with slightly less depth.

Q: My potatoes came out mushy. What happened?

A: This can happen if your potatoes are diced too small or if the rice cooker runs too long. Try cutting them into larger chunks (about 1-inch pieces) and check for doneness around the 50-minute mark.

Tips and Techniques

You can reduce the butter to half the amount (4 oz) and the dish still comes out delicious—the rendered fat from the sausage and tasso adds plenty of richness. For best results, dice your potatoes into uniform pieces so they cook evenly.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • smoked pork tasso: smoked ham or Canadian bacon
  • smoked link sausage: andouille sausage or kielbasa
  • white or red potatoes: Yukon Gold potatoes

Equipment Needed

  • rice cooker (preferably with white rice setting)
  • cutting board
  • knife
  • skillet for browning meats

Historical Context

Rice cooker cooking became popular in Louisiana households in the 1980s and 90s, particularly with the Hitachi brand. Creative Cajun cooks quickly adapted traditional stovetop dishes like smothered potatoes to this hands-off cooking method, allowing them to multitask without worrying about scorching.