One-pot family dinner

Slow cooker smoked sausage, cabbage and potatoes

Name: Slow Cooker Smoked Sausage, Cabbage and Potatoes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h 20 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes, halved if larger than 1 1/2 inches; 4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 medium yellow onion, cut into thick wedges; 1 small green cabbage, about 1 1/2 pounds, cored and cut into 8 wedges; 14 ounces fully cooked smoked sausage, sliced into 1-inch rounds; 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; Chopped parsley, optional

Hearty vegetables and fully cooked smoked sausage simmer in a light mustard broth, with cider vinegar added at the end for balance.

Prep 20 minutesCook 5–7 hours on lowServes 6

By DJ Carlton · Updated September 28, 2026

Illustrative slow cooker filled with smoked sausage, cabbage wedges, potatoes, carrots and onion — Illustrative serving image created for this recipe; your finished dish will vary.

This recipe is designed around fully cooked smoked sausage. Potatoes and carrots sit nearest the heat, while thick cabbage wedges stay on top so they soften without disappearing into the broth. The sausage seasons the whole pot, so wait until the end before deciding whether it needs salt.

How to make it

Layer the firm vegetables. Put potatoes, carrots, and onion in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Keep the pieces similar in size so they finish together.
Mix the broth. Whisk the chicken broth, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, thyme, and black pepper. Pour it over the vegetables.
Add the sausage and cabbage. Scatter the sliced, fully cooked sausage over the vegetables. Nestle the cabbage wedges on top, keeping them as intact as possible.
Cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 5–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours. Begin checking at the early end. It is ready when a knife slips easily into the largest potato and carrot pieces and the food is steaming hot throughout.
Brighten and serve. Gently fold in the apple cider vinegar. Taste the broth, then add salt only if needed. Sprinkle with parsley.

Choose the correct sausage: Use a package clearly labeled fully cooked or ready to eat. This recipe is not timed for raw sausage. If substituting raw sausage, cook it according to its package and verify 160°F for raw ground pork/beef sausage or 165°F for poultry sausage.

How to keep the vegetables from turning mushy

Cut potatoes and carrots into substantial pieces, keep cabbage in wedges, and begin checking promptly. If your slow cooker runs hot or you prefer firmer cabbage, add the cabbage after the first 2 hours on LOW and continue until all vegetables are tender.

Easy variations

Use turkey smoked sausage only if it is fully cooked; it may contribute less fat and salt to the broth.
Replace thyme with 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds for a more traditional cabbage flavor.
For a richer finish, stir in 1 tablespoon of butter with the vinegar.
For extra heat, add crushed red pepper at the table rather than making the whole pot spicy.

Storage and reheating

Transfer leftovers to shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours. Use within 3–4 days. Reheat leftovers to 165°F. The cabbage and potatoes soften further in storage, so reheat only the portion you plan to eat. Freeze individual portions for up to 2–3 months; the flavor holds well, although the potatoes may become slightly grainy.

Plan another hearty meal

If you enjoy substantial one-pot dinners, try our Sunday-style pot roast or sticky barbecue country-style ribs. Cooking a large pork shoulder instead? Use the 8-pound pork shoulder timing guide.

Food-safety basis: Minimum temperatures follow the USDA safe-temperature chart; cooling and reheating guidance follows the USDA leftovers guide.