Add the sausages to the same skillet and brown them on all sides in the bacon drippings, about 6–8 minutes total. They do not need to be cooked through; you just want good color. Transfer the browned sausages to a cutting board and let them cool slightly, then cut them into large chunks (about 2–3 pieces per sausage).
Sausages browning in a skillet with bacon drippings
Sausages browning in a skillet with bacon drippings
Layer half of the potato chunks in the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, followed by half of the onion wedges. Scatter half of the crispy bacon over the top.
Arrange half of the sausage pieces over the layered vegetables. Repeat the layers with the remaining potatoes, onions, bacon, and sausages, ending with sausages on top so they stay visible and browned.
Pour the broth evenly over everything in the slow cooker. The liquid should come most of the way up the sides; it’s fine if some sausages are peeking out on top.
Slow cooker filled with layered coddle before cooking
Slow cooker filled with layered coddle before cooking
Cover and cook on Low for 6–8 hours, or on High for 3–4 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the onions are soft and translucent. The broth should be bubbling gently around the meat and vegetables.
Taste the broth and add a pinch of salt and black pepper if needed, depending on how salty your bacon and sausages are. Gently stir just once or twice to mix some of the flavors without breaking up the potatoes too much.
Finished coddle bubbling inside the slow cooker
Finished coddle bubbling inside the slow cooker
Ladle the coddle into warm bowls, making sure each serving has sausages, bacon bits, soft potatoes, onions, and plenty of savory broth. Serve hot, straight from the slow cooker.
Variations & Tips
For picky eaters, you can slice the sausages into smaller bite-size pieces before browning so they’re easier for kids to manage, and keep the onions in larger wedges so grown-ups can eat them while kids can easily push them aside. If your family prefers a thicker, stew-like broth, mash a few of the cooked potatoes right in the slow cooker and stir them into the liquid.
Kid-friendly bowl of coddle with smaller sausage pieces
Kid-friendly bowl of coddle with smaller sausage pieces
To lighten things up a bit, use turkey sausages and center-cut bacon, or replace half of the potatoes with carrots cut into chunky pieces. For a slightly richer, more traditional flavor, swap 1 cup of the broth for a mild Irish beer (for adults only) and let it cook off in the slow cooker.
You can also add simple seasonings like a bay leaf or a teaspoon of dried thyme without changing the spirit of the 5-ingredient recipe—just remember to pull out the bay leaf before serving. If you’re cooking for a crowd on St. Patrick’s Day, double the recipe and use a large slow cooker, then set out bowls of chopped parsley, shredded cheese, and extra crispy bacon so everyone can top their own bowl just the way they like it.
Coddle toppings bar with parsley cheese and bacon
Coddle toppings bar with parsley cheese and bacon
