Slow Cooker Little Smokies cooks low and slow until tender: saucy, savory, and mostly hands-off for busy weeknights.
Smoky Little Sausage Stew for Hands-Off Weeknights
A saucy, savory slow-cooker stew of cocktail sausages, tender potatoes and sweet carrots that simmers on low for six hours with almost no effort.
When the week runs long and you want dinner to feel cozy without babysitting a pot, this slow-cooker stew answers the call. Little smokies become plump and savory while yellow potatoes break down just enough to thicken the sauce, and carrots add a gentle sweetness. By the time it’s done the kitchen smells like smoked paprika and simmered tomatoes — hearty, comforting, and exactly the kind of hands-off meal that hits the spot.
Flavor comes from layering simple, bold ingredients: canned tomatoes and tomato paste give body and brightness, low-sodium chicken broth keeps the sauce silky, and a splash of Worcestershire plus smoked paprika and thyme deepen the savory notes. Browning the sausages quickly in a skillet is optional, but those caramelized edges add a boost of meaty complexity before everything goes into the cooker. A bay leaf and a grind of black pepper pull it all together.
Prep is deliberately easy: trim and dry the little smokies, chop potatoes into 1-inch pieces, slice carrots, and dice onion and celery. Arrange the sausages in the slow cooker, pile the veggies on top, and pour the seasoned tomato-broth mix over everything — then let six hours on low do the work. The layering lets the sausages heat through while the vegetables steam and release starch, creating a saucy, spoonable one-pot dinner.
This stew is forgiving and practical: it reheats beautifully (the sauce actually intensifies after a day), and a splash of broth loosens it if it thickens in the fridge. Serve with crusty bread, over rice, or simply ladled into bowls for an easy family meal. It’s also an excellent low-effort option for a casual weekend gathering when you want big, slow-cooked flavor with minimal fuss.
Ingredients
How to Make Slow Cooker Little Smokies
- Trim any packaging from the little smokies and pat them dry with paper towels; halve potatoes into 1-inch pieces, peel and slice carrots, dice the onion and celery, and mince the garlic.
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat; add the little smokies and brown briefly (2–3 minutes) until edges color—this step is optional but boosts flavor—then transfer sausages to the slow cooker.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, onion, celery and garlic to the slow cooker on top of the sausages.
- Stir together diced tomatoes (with juices), chicken broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, dried thyme, bay leaf, salt and black pepper; pour the mixture over the ingredients in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours (or high for 3–3½ hours) until potatoes and carrots are tender and flavors are melded.
- About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the frozen peas and check seasoning; mix cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water to make a slurry, then whisk into the stew if you want a thicker broth and cook uncovered for the remaining 10–15 minutes.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf, taste and adjust salt/pepper, and ladle into bowls. Serve hot with crusty bread or over rice if desired.
Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Little Smokies
Slow Cooker Little Smokies cooks low and slow until tender: saucy, savory, and mostly hands-off for busy weeknights.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 6 hr
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
Instructions
- Trim any packaging from the little smokies and pat them dry with paper towels; halve potatoes into 1-inch pieces, peel and slice carrots, dice the onion and celery, and mince the garlic.
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat; add the little smokies and brown briefly (2–3 minutes) until edges color—this step is optional but boosts flavor—then transfer sausages to the slow cooker.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, onion, celery and garlic to the slow cooker on top of the sausages.
- Stir together diced tomatoes (with juices), chicken broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, dried thyme, bay leaf, salt and black pepper; pour the mixture over the ingredients in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours (or high for 3–3½ hours) until potatoes and carrots are tender and flavors are melded.
- About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the frozen peas and check seasoning; mix cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water to make a slurry, then whisk into the stew if you want a thicker broth and cook uncovered for the remaining 10–15 minutes.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf, taste and adjust salt/pepper, and ladle into bowls. Serve hot with crusty bread or over rice if desired.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 29
- Saturated Fat
- 8
- Sodium
- 900
- Fiber
- 3.5
- Unsaturated Fat
- 17
- Protein
- 14
- Fat
- 25
- Cholesterol
- 70
- Trans Fat
- 0.2
- Calories
- 410
- Sugar
- 4