Creamy Sausage and Mashed Potatoes with Peppers

Sausage and mashed potatoes get an upgrade with peppers and onions simmered in a creamy tomato sauce. An easy, hearty 30-minute dinner!

This creamy Italian sausage and mashed potatoes recipe is the kind of hearty, comforting dinner that tastes like it took all day but is ready in about 30 minutes! Juicy Italian sausage, bell peppers and onions simmer in a rich, creamy tomato sauce, then everything gets spooned over buttery mashed potatoes.

Typically, you see sausage and peppers served with pasta or piled into a hoagie, but trust me — mashed potatoes might be even better.

This recipe actually happened by accident. I had a little cream left in the fridge and tossed it into the sauce for our Italian sausage and peppers. We were in the middle of moving, and when I went to grab the penne, I realized all of our pasta was already packed.

The potatoes, however, were still sitting in the pantry. So I figured, why not?

We absolutely LOVED it. The creamy mashed potatoes soak up that tomato cream sauce, and every bite gets sausage, sweet peppers and onions. Sometimes moving chaos gives you the best dinner ideas!

Ingredients You’ll Need

This sausage and mashed potatoes recipe uses simple ingredients but packs in tons of flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:

For the Sausage and Peppers

• Italian sausage
• Bell peppers
• Yellow onion

For the Creamy Tomato Sauce

• White wine
• Fire-roasted tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• Tomato sauce
• Water
• Italian seasoning
• Sugar
• Salt
• Heavy cream
• Parmesan

For Serving

• Mashed potatoes

How to Make Sausage and Mashed Potatoes

1. Start the mashed potatoes. Get your potatoes boiling first so they’re ready at about the same time as the sausage and peppers.
2. Brown the sausage. Cook the Italian sausage in a large skillet until browned, then remove it from the pan and slice it.
3. Sauté the peppers and onions. Cook them in the same skillet so they soak up all that flavor left behind by the sausage.
4. Make the tomato sauce. Deglaze the skillet with white wine (or chicken broth), then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, seasonings and water.
5. Make it creamy. Return the sausage to the skillet, simmer everything together and stir in the heavy cream.
6. Serve over mashed potatoes. Spoon the creamy sausage, peppers and plenty of that sauce over warm mashed potatoes and finish with Parmesan.

What Kind of Sausage Is Best with Mashed Potatoes?

Italian sausage is our favorite for this recipe because the fennel, garlic and other seasonings add so much flavor to the creamy tomato sauce. You can use mild, sweet or hot Italian sausage depending on how spicy you want the dish.

You can also make it with chicken sausage or turkey sausage. Kielbasa will work too, though it will give the dish a smokier flavor.

Can I Make Sausage and Peppers Without Wine?

Yes! Replace the white wine with an equal amount of chicken broth. Beef broth will also work and will give the sauce a slightly richer flavor.

What Are the Best Mashed Potatoes for Sausage?

You want smooth, buttery mashed potatoes for this recipe because they soak up all that creamy tomato sauce. Our best mashed potatoes recipe is our go-to.

If you’re making both recipes at the same time, start boiling the potatoes before you begin the sausage and peppers. That way everything should be hot and ready at about the same time.

You can also use leftover mashed potatoes for an extra quick dinner.

Can I Serve Sausage and Peppers with Pasta Instead?

You can absolutely use pasta instead of mashed potatoes if you want. Cook a good hearty pasta like penne or rotini until it is al dente. You can mix the pasta and sauce together or keep them separate and just pour the sauce over the pasta while serving.

If pasta is what you’re craving, try our Italian sausage and peppers penne instead.

What to Serve with Sausage and Mashed Potatoes

Since you’ve already got sausage, peppers and mashed potatoes, this is a pretty complete meal on its own! If you want to add a side, keep it simple with roasted broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts or a fresh green salad.

Variations and Substitutions

• Make it spicy: Use hot Italian sausage or add red pepper flakes.
• Change the sausage: Try chicken sausage, turkey sausage or kielbasa.
• Use different peppers: Red, yellow and orange bell peppers are sweeter; green peppers have a stronger savory flavor.
• Skip the wine: Substitute chicken broth.
• Make it extra creamy: Add another splash of heavy cream at the end.
• Serve it differently: Spoon the sausage and peppers over pasta, polenta or rice instead of mashed potatoes.

How to Store and Reheat Sausage and Mashed Potatoes

Store: Store the creamy sausage and peppers separately from the mashed potatoes. Keep them both in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They will keep for up to 5 days.

Reheat: Reheat the sauce on the stovetop in a skillet over medium-low heat until heated through. You’ll most likely need to add a little extra cream or milk to thin out the sauce as it reheats.

Freezing: For the best texture, freeze the sausage and tomato sauce before adding the cream. Thaw and reheat it, then stir in the cream just before serving.

When you need an easy dinner that is pure comfort food, sausage and mashed potatoes is hard to beat! The creamy tomato sauce, Italian sausage, sweet peppers and onions turn simple mashed potatoes into a hearty 30-minute meal that tastes like it simmered all afternoon.

And don’t forget the Parmesan. Always more Parmesan.

More of Our Favorite Sausage Recipes:

• Creamy Cajun Pasta with Smoked Sausage
• Italian Sausage and Peppers Rigatoni
• Zucchini Sausage Casserole
• One Pan Honey Garlic Kielbasa
• Zuppa Toscana