Potato and Sausage Chowder

Potato and Sausage Chowder is the ultimate comfort-in-a-bowl meal that warms you from the inside out. Imagine hearty potatoes, savory sausage, and wild rice all swimming in a rich, creamy broth that’s pure coziness. One spoonful and you’ll understand why this chowder is a true family favorite.

Love More Potato Soups? Try My Outback Steakhouse Potato Soup or this Broccoli Potato Soup next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This Potato Sausage Chowder is hearty, creamy, and packed with real flavor instead of just thin broth. The wild rice makes it filling without being heavy, while the sausage adds a rich, savory depth that keeps everyone coming back for seconds. Best of all, it’s foolproof to make on busy nights and tastes even better the next day, so you’ve got tomorrow’s lunch sorted too.

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Ingredient List

For the Chowder Base:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 sausages (any flavor you love), removed from casing
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (use cornflour for a gluten-free alternative)

For the Liquid and Add-ins:

• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ cup wild rice
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1½ cups single cream or half-and-half (dairy or plant-based cream)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Don’t stress if you need to swap things out – I’ve made this work with whatever’s hiding in my fridge!

Why These Ingredients Work

The sausage is doing all the heavy lifting flavor-wise here. You brown it first and get all those crispy bits stuck to the bottom of your pot – that’s where the magic happens. Wild rice doesn’t turn to mush like regular rice does, so you get these little chewy bites throughout. The flour keeps everything from being watery soup, and the cream makes it feel like you’re eating something fancy instead of leftovers thrown together.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Large soup pot or Dutch oven
• Wooden spoon for stirring
• Sharp knife for chopping
• Cutting board
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Ladle for serving

Nothing fancy needed – just grab whatever soup pot you’ve got!

How To Make Potato and Sausage Chowder

Brown the Sausage

Heat your oil in a big pot and squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings. Break it up with your spoon and let it get nice and brown – about 5-7 minutes. Don’t move it around too much at first, let it get those crispy edges. Take it out but leave some of that fat in the pot because it tastes way better than plain oil.

Sauté the Vegetables

Throw your chopped onion, celery, and carrots into that same pot with all the good sausage bits. Cook them low and slow for 10 minutes until they’re soft. Add the garlic and thyme for the last 30 seconds – don’t let the garlic burn or it’ll taste bitter.

Create the Roux Base

Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir it around until it makes a paste. Cook this for a minute or two – it’ll smell kind of nutty when it’s ready. Put your sausage back in now.

Add Stock and Rice

Pour in your stock slowly while stirring so you don’t get lumps. Add the bay leaves and wild rice, bring it to a simmer, and let it bubble away for 30 minutes on medium-low heat. The rice needs time to get tender.

Add Potatoes and Simmer

Dump in your potato chunks and cook for another 15 minutes until everything’s fork-tender. The potatoes should break apart easily when you poke them.

Finish with Cream

Turn the heat down low and stir in the cream. Don’t let it boil hard or it’ll curdle on you. Season with salt and pepper – taste it first because the sausage might already be salty enough.

Serve and Garnish

Fish out those bay leaves and ladle into bowls. Sprinkle some chopped parsley on top if you’ve got it. Serve with crusty bread for dunking.

You Must Know

Don’t skip browning the sausage properly – those crispy bits are where all the flavor comes from. And cook that flour paste for at least a minute or your chowder will taste weird and floury.

Personal Secret: I always save some of the browned sausage to sprinkle on top of each bowl. Makes it look fancy and gives you extra meaty bites.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Use Italian sausage if you want classic flavors, or chorizo if you’re feeling spicy
• Wild rice takes forever to cook, so don’t add it late or it’ll be crunchy
• Add cream off the heat or keep it really low – nobody wants chunky cream soup
• If your potatoes fall apart, just mash some against the side of the pot for extra thickness

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

• Swap sausage for thick bacon if that’s what you’ve got
• Add some corn kernels in the last 10 minutes for sweetness
• Use sweet potatoes instead of regular ones – they cook faster too
• Throw in some spinach at the very end for color and nutrition points

Make-Ahead Options

This stuff is even better the next day after all the flavors meld together. Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days – it’ll get thick, so thin it out with more stock when you reheat. Don’t freeze it though, the potatoes get weird and grainy.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

• Yukon potatoes hold their shape best, but use whatever you’ve got
• Chicken stock tastes richer than vegetable stock
• If it’s too thin, mash some potatoes. Too thick? Add more stock
• Don’t add the cream until the very end or it might separate

Serving Suggestions

This is a meal by itself, but crusty bread is basically mandatory for sopping up every last drop. A simple salad cuts through all the richness if you’re feeling virtuous. My kids like it over baked potatoes for some reason – double carbs, why not?

How to Store Your Potato and Sausage Chowder

Refrigerator: Keeps for 3 days covered. It gets thicker as it sits, just add some stock when reheating.

Reheating: Heat it low and slow, stirring often. Don’t blast it on high heat or the cream will separate.

Freezer: You can freeze it for 2 months, but the potatoes get mushy. Better to eat it fresh.

Allergy Information

Contains: Dairy (cream), gluten (flour)

Gluten-Free: Use cornstarch instead of flour Dairy-Free: Coconut cream or cashew cream work great Lighter Version: Use milk instead of cream, just not as rich

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use regular rice instead of wild rice?

Sure, just use less – about ¾ cup of brown rice or 1 cup of white rice. White rice only needs 15-20 minutes total.

My chowder is too watery. Help!

Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with cold water and stir it in. Cook for a few minutes until it thickens up.

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

Brown the sausage and veggies first, then dump everything except cream in the slow cooker. Cook on low 6-7 hours, add cream at the end.

What’s the best sausage to use?

Italian sausage is my go-to, but honestly any kind works. Even breakfast sausage makes it good.

Why did my cream curdle?

Too much heat. Add it off the heat and keep the temperature low. If it happens, blend it smooth with a stick blender.

💬 Made this recipe? Drop a comment below and tell me how it turned out! Love hearing about everyone’s variations.