Are you a potato lover? I would definitely consider myself one. I think I may be more in love with the different varieties; I mean, there’s potato chips, potato cakes, potato soup — I could go on and on.

In addition to coming in many different forms, potatoes can be topped with anything and be considered a delicious meal. One of my favorite toppings is Odom’s Tennessee Pride Mild Country Sausage. I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t sausage usually served for breakfast?” I’m here to set the record straight and show you that sausage can be used in many ways, from traditional breakfast dishes to appetizers, lunches and dinners.

I stocked up on a couple packages of this tasty sausage during my usual shopping trip to Walmart. I had no idea what I was going to cook at the time, but I knew that I needed to stock up on a few essentials.

Spicy Smoked Gouda & Sausage Hasselback Potatoes. (Andrea Mathis / Beautiful Eats & Things)

Since I had everything I needed from the store, it was time to come up with a dinner idea. I always keep potatoes on hand, so I decided to try a new recipe: Spicy Smoked Gouda & Sausage Hasselback Potatoes.

These potatoes were absolutely amazing. My family loved them, and my 4-year-old even asked for seconds. That never happens. I guess you can say this recipe was a winner.

Spicy Smoked Gouda & Sausage Hasselback Potatoes (Andrea Mathis / Beautiful Eats & Things)

Spicy Smoked Gouda & Sausage Hasselback Potatoes

 Click here for a printable recipe.

 Serves: 5

Ingredients

• 5 medium russet potatoes
• 1 pound Odom’s Tennessee Pride Mild Country Sausage, broken up
• 8 slices smoked Gouda
• 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
• 1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil to medium heat.
• Add sausage, parsley, rosemary and garlic. Cook until meat is thoroughly cooked.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• Slice potatoes into thin slices, leaving ¼ inch at the bottom unsliced. You can place wooden spoons or chopsticks on either side of the potato to keep your knife from slicing through.
• Drizzle potatoes with oil and season with cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
• Cut smoked Gouda slices into small squares.
• Evenly distribute half of the sausage mixture and smoked Gouda squares between each potato slice.
• Bake for approximately 45-55 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and crisp.
• Top each potato with the remaining sausage mixture and garnish with parsley. Enjoy.

Recipe notes

Nutritional information (1 potato): calories 568, carbohydrates 20 grams, fat 40 grams, protein 25 grams, saturated fat 15 grams, fiber 2 grams, sugars 0.8 grams.

Andrea Mathis is a registered dietitian and owner of Beautiful Eats & Things. For more great recipes, visit beautifuleatsandthings.com.