21 Easy Italian Sausage Recipes to Spice Up Your Weeknight Dinners
Italian sausage is easy to make—these recipes show you how!
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Whether you’re looking for easy ideas for entertaining or tasty weeknight dinners, these top Italian sausage recipes will make any meal feel like a zesty Italian feast. This unassuming protein works for so many different recipes, including pastas, pizzas, sandwiches, comforting casseroles, and even soups. Not only can Italian sausage be used in a variety of ways, but it’s easy to cook, too. Once you know how to cook sausage, the Italian dinner possibilities are endless! Here, you’ll find sheet pan suppers, baked pastas, and holiday sides that the whole family will love. And if you’re stuck in a weeknight dinner rut, you’ve come to the right place.
Italian sausage is a type of pork sausage with its own special savory flavor that's distinct from other varieties like breakfast sausage, chicken sausage, or turkey sausage. That's because Italian sausage is made with seasonings like fennel seeds and herbs. If you're familiar with Italian sausage, you may know that there are two different kinds to choose from: sweet or spicy. Despite the name, sweet Italian sausage isn’t necessarily sweet; it's just milder than spicy sausage. If you like a kick, go for the spicy Italian sausage studded with crushed red pepper. Or, you can always use a combination of both to create your perfect blend. Like we said, there are endless possibilities!
Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers
Here’s a fun twist on sausage and peppers! These stuffed peppers are filled with a mixture of loose sweet Italian sausage and rice. It’s an easy (and cheesy) dinner that you can prep ahead.
Sheet Pan Sausage and Pepper Hoagies
Italian sausage can be either hot or sweet, but the best thing about this loaded sandwich is that you can use a combination of both! It’s perfectly balanced.
Sausage and Pepper Burgers
Cook down bell peppers, onions, and tomato sauce to make a delicious saucy topping for these grilled sausage and beef burgers. Gooey provolone cheese is the perfect finishing touch.
Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Spicy Sausage
Sheet pan dinners are a go-to in the Drummond household. They’re easy to prep and to clean up! This one has sausage, peppers, cheese, and herbs to go along with the pillowy soft gnocchi.
Sausage Pinwheels
This spicy appetizer is the ultimate crowdpleaser. In fact, these pinwheels will be eaten so quickly, you’ll need to refresh the plate more than once.
Sausage and Pepper Pizza
Pickled peppers are the key to giving this square slice a bit of zing! Serve this pie with a side of greens for a fun weeknight dinner.
Orecchiette with Butternut Squash, Kale, and Sausage
Come fall, there are tons of butternut squash recipes worth trying—and this should definitely be one of them! It’s cozy, comforting, and easy to make in under an hour!
Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage
Saucy, rich, and packed with two types of protein (Italian sausage and ground beef), this baked ziti is the ultimate comfort food. It feeds a crowd, so gather your friends and family for a fun pasta party.
Grilled Sausage, Peppers, and Onions
You can make sausage all year round, but we especially love it during the summer when you can throw it on the grill. Create a DIY sandwich bar with your favorite BBQ sides and toasted rolls.
Loaf Pan Lasagna with Butternut Squash and Sausage
This lasagna is packed with fall flavors, including seasonal butternut squash, sage, and sweet Italian sausage. It’s ideal for a fall potluck dinner.
Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Apples
Whether you call it dressing or stuffing, this Thanksgiving dish is unlike anything you’ve had before. It’s packed with sweet Italian sausage, apples, and leeks for a savory-sweet side you’ll love.
Lasagna Rollups
This meaty and cheesy lasagna is freezer-friendly so you can easily break it up into smaller portions, and heat one up whenever the craving hits!
Butternut Squash, Sausage, and Tortelloni Soup
Tortelloni is a stuffed pasta that’s similar in shape to tortellini, but larger in size. Feel free to sub in the smaller kind if you can’t find tortelloni.
Lots of Meat Pizza
Don’t limit yourself to just one kind of meat—this pizza is loaded with sausage, pepperoni, ham, salami, and bacon. Some might say it has it all!
Easy Calzones
If you were a fan of pizza pockets as a kid, you’ll go crazy for this dressed-up version featuring sausage, cheese, and sauce. It couldn’t be easier to make thanks to frozen bread dough.
One-Pot Sausage and Veggie Rice
Transform a plain pot of rice into a delicious new weeknight dinner. This Mediterranean-inspired version has sausage, fennel, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes.
Supreme Pizza Burgers
A combination of sausage, ground beef, and Italian seasoning makes these pizza-inspired burgers extra flavorful. But it’s the toppings that really make them supreme: cheese, veggies, olives, marinara sauce, and pepperoni!
Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells
These pasta shells are stuffed to the brim with a cheesy sausage filling. Top them with even more mozzarella for the ultimate cheese pull.
Get the recipe at Butter Be Ready.
Sausage Stuffed Jalapeños
You’ll get double the heat with these jalapeño peppers that are stuffed with hot Italian sausage. Serve them as a fun snack for game day or plate them up for a party app.
Get the recipe at Simple Joy.
Simple Baked Italian Sausage Meatballs
This recipe uses spicy Italian sausage instead of your typical ground beef. Serve the meatballs on their own or over a plate of spaghetti.
Get the recipe at Half-Baked Harvest.
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