Funeral potatoes meet kielbasa. A homemade cream sauce (no canned cream-of-chicken, in keeping with the no-poultry rule) binds shredded potatoes, smoked sausage, and cheddar, all under a crunchy topping. Runs great on the smoker if you want extra smoke.
Ingredients
- 1 lb smoked sausage or kielbasa, sliced into coins
- 30 oz frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
- ½ onion, diced
- 4 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup beef or vegetable broth
- 2 cups shredded cheddar, divided
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp Smokehouse rub, salt, and pepper
- 1 cup crushed cornflakes or panko + 2 tbsp melted butter (topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. In a skillet, brown the sausage coins and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt the butter, soften the onion, then whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and broth and simmer until thickened, 3–4 minutes. Off the heat, stir in half the cheddar, the sour cream, and the Smokehouse rub.
- In a large bowl, combine the hash browns, sausage, and cream sauce. Spread into two 8" foil pans and top with the remaining cheddar.
- Toss the cornflakes or panko with melted butter and scatter over the top.
- Bake 40–45 minutes until bubbling and golden.
Make-Ahead & Storage
Assemble (hold the crumb topping until baking if you can), cover, and freeze up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 375°F for ~70 minutes covered, then uncover for the last 15. Reheat single portions in the toaster oven at 350°F for ~20 minutes. Smoker option: 350°F for about an hour.
Notes
Cubed hash browns work in place of shredded for more texture. Diced ham or bacon can stand in for the sausage. A little of your rendered tallow in place of some butter adds richness.