Best Ways To Use Italian Sausage At Home Tonight

1. Italian Meatballs

When serving a crowd, Italian sausage meatballs are one of your best options. You don’t have to use ground beef all the time. You can easily make them with sausage without compromising the flavor.

Start with removing the casing from the sausage. Combine crumbled sausage, breadcrumbs, cheese, egg, water and parsley. Roll the sausage mixture into even balls and brown the meatballs in a large skillet. Then, toss the meatballs in marinara sauce. They are delicious on meatball subs, salads, and pasta.

2. Quesadillas

An Italian sausage quesadillas is a marriage of Italian and Mexican flavors. Moist on the inside exterior and extra crispy on the outside, these quesadillas are a flavor and textural bomb.

The tortillas of your choice are filled with spicy Italian sausage crumbles, roasted bell peppers, mozzarella cheese, and finely chopped basil. The quesadilla is then cooked in the skillet until it turns golden brown. Serve with a warm marinara dipping sauce.

3. Stuffed Peppers

Peppers stuffed with Italian sausage, rice, cheese, and tomatoes and enhanced with garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce make for an impressive dish.

This recipe is super easy to pull together and hardly has any chopping involved. You can use any sausage you like, but nothing beats an Italian pork sausage. These peppers will definitely be on repeat at your house. You can serve it with garlic bread and arugula salad. 

4. Loaded Burgers

Burgers are undoubtedly one of the best foods created by mankind. That is why we had to include at least one burger recipe in this list. The burger patties are made with spicy and sweet Italian sausage and grilled for the juiciest patties. 

After grilling, they are stuffed between a chewy Kaiser bun with roasted red bell peppers, pepper rings, Provolone cheese, and fresh basil for an unforgettable dining experience.

5. Sausage Pasta

There is nothing better than having a restaurant quality sausage pasta on the table in less than half an hour when you are in a time crunch. Italian sausage, pasta and rich, creamy and tomatoey sauce is a magical combo. 

The sausage is browned in a skillet and set aside. In the same, garlic and chicken broth are incorporated. Then the canned tomatoes, cream, and sausage is added.

Everything is cooked till thickened and seasoned with salt and pepper.

6. Spicy Sausage and Rice Soup

Spicy sausage and rice soup is a comfort food that warms you up from the inside out and gives your stomach that satisfyingly fuzzy feeling.

Spicy browned Italian sausage and brown rice are simmered gently in a chicken and tomato broth for about 35 minutes or so. This soup is hearty and filling. You can use white rice, but brown rice adds extra flavor to the soup and holds up better. It will not turn to mush while cooking. 

7. Sausage Ragu Rigatoni

Made with everyday ingredients but tastes restaurant quality, everyone should have an Italian sausage ragu recipe in their repertoire. This dish checks the “meaty and rich” boxes. 

Rigatoni and Italian sausage are simmered in a robust, garlicky tomato sauce. You could certainly add in a pinch of dried chili flakes for added spice. It is super simple to make, and most of the cooking is hands-off.

8. Sausage and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Caramelized onions and Italian sausage are a match made in heaven. The mildly spicy Italian variety flavored with fennel and garlic paired with tender and sweet onions is completely satisfying. 

So what better way to incorporate both than on pizza. The onions and sausage are layered on pizza dough with a robust marinara and tangy crumbled feta cheese. This delicious pizza is totally worth skipping takeout for. 

9. Spicy Sausage and Kale Chili

A chili recipe is tried and tested. It is anything but boring because you can add any ingredients under the sun to change the flavor, texture, and consistency.

A traditional Mexican chili is made with ground beef, onion, spices, beans, and tomato. But for an Italian-inspired chili, you can replace the beef with spicy turkey sausage for a tomato-y chili. Other ingredients include red bell peppers, cannellini beans, tomatoes, and kale. You can add additional toppings like sliced avocado or crushed crackers.

10. Sausage Casserole

With only 5 ingredients and minimal prep time, nothing is better than a sausage casserole for weeknight dinners on lazy days. This is an easy dump-and-bake recipe where you do not have to brown the sausage or boil the noodles.

Combine water, marinara sauce, salt, pepper, uncooked pasta, and sliced sausage in a casserole dish and bake for 35 minutes. Stir everything and sprinkle cheese on top. Broil until the cheese melts, and serve.

11. Sausage Gravy

An Italian sausage gravy is the perfect condiment for biscuits, after all, no one wants to eat a dry biscuit. You can make a tomato base sauce, but the white, thick gravy works better with biscuits.

The recipe starts with a roux, which is loosened with milk. You can use butter or the fat rendered from frying the sausage. Mix in milk 

Breakfast sausage is the preferred choice for sausage gravy because they are raw and do not come in casings.

12. Air-Fryer Sausage

Sausages are a great addition to a variety of dishes, but they are even better on their own. Thanks to the simplicity, cooking has never been easier. You can have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a midnight snack if you feel like it. You can pan-fry, grill, or oven-bake the sausages, but air frying is the best method.

The sausages get brown and crispy, with moist, juicy insides. Pierce the casings in three different places and air fry them for 9 to 12 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. You can serve them as is or with mustard, ketchup, barbecue sauce, or hot sauce.

13. Ravioli with Spicy Italian Sausage

Spicy and savory sausage ravioli smothered in creamy and rich tomato sauce with the flavors of garlic, onion, and mushroom is sure to impress guests and family alike. Sizzle Italian sausage in your skillet and add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and Italian seasonings to make a quick and easy sauce. 

Then toss your ravioli right in and let them simmer. After that, sprinkle in the shredded cheese and serve. If you have leftovers, this tasty ravioli will stay fresh for 3 to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

14. Sausage Dip

A spicy Italian sausage dip is a perfect appetizer for game day or holiday parties. The key to a good sausage dip is the pepperoncinis that gives the dip a briny, savory flavor.

Toss in the sausage and let it cook. Then add canned tomatoes, cream cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan and pepperoncinis. Continue cooking until the cheese melts and everything is well-combined

Remove it from the dip from the heat and serve with tortilla chips or toasted Italian bread if you prefer.

15. Pigs in a Blanket

Another great party appetizer recipe with Italian pork sausage is Pigs in a Blanket. Cocktail sausages are wrapped in crescent sheets, brushed with butter, and baked until golden for 12 to 15 minutes.

If you don’t have cocktail sausages, you can always use Italian sausage. Remember to remove the casing. 

Once it is out of the oven, you can serve it with any dip you like, from ketchup and aioli to BBQ sauce and ranch dressing, but nothing beats a good grainy mustard.

16. Loaded Nachos

Loaded nachos are fuss-free, loved by all, and great for sharing when baked on a sheet pan. You can customize them with several naco toppings, but for a classic Italian-American twist, you can top your loaded nachos with sausage and peppers.

You have to make a quick and flavorful sauce. Then, the nachos, sausage, green and red bell peppers, onion, and tomatoes are layered on a baking sheet. Everything is baked for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. You can top your nachos with pickled jalapenos, fresh basil, and grated pecorino before serving.