Ever draw a blank when trying to come up with something to make for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even an appetizer? Italian sausage will come to your rescue.
Unless you buy Italian sausage separately from a meat counter, it usually comes in a package of four to six sausages. So what do you do with the extra sausage when you want to use just one or two of them? That’s easy — put them in snack-size freezer bags, seal them up, and store them in the freezer. They will definitely come in handy when you’re out of ideas on what to make for a meal. I just love having these on hand, because Italian sausage comes packed with flavor, and it’s easy to change up the recipes so each meal is different.
Take, for example, this flatbread pizza. It’s super-easy and quick to make, and it’s made with basic ingredients. I think the hardest part is finding the flatbread in the grocery store. At least it is for me. Sometimes it’s hiding in the deli area, or on the very bottom shelf by the tortillas or even in random places that don’t make sense throughout the grocery store. But once you find the type of flatbread you like, it generally lasts nicely in the fridge and is a great go-to ingredient for a quick and easy meal.
Italian sausage flatbread pizza recipe
This quick and easy flatbread pizza is made with a simple tomato sauce base, mozzarella cheese, Italian sausage and sliced black olives.
Serves 2
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes | Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 single-serving-size flatbreads
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce (quantity may vary depending on the size of the flatbread)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (quantity may vary depending on the size of the flatbread)
- 1 Italian sausage, removed from the casing, cooked thoroughly in bite-size pieces
- 3/4 cup sliced black olives
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 teaspoons olive oil
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Lay the flatbread on a cookie sheet, and spread the tomato sauce on top.
- On top of the tomato sauce, evenly add the oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper.
- Top with mozzarella cheese, pieces of Italian sausage, black olives and Parmesan cheese.
- Drizzle olive oil on top, and bake until the cheese has melted (about 10 minutes).
- Serve while hot.
Italian sausage is a great way to change up scrambled eggs. And as a bonus, try adding some fried potatoes too. Make it an Italian sausage scramble for breakfast. What a perfect way to start the day.
Italian sausage, egg and potato scramble recipe
This breakfast scramble made with Italian sausage, eggs and fried potatoes is a great way to start your day.
Serves 2
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 Italian sausage, removed from the casing, cooked thoroughly in bite-size pieces
- 1 medium-size russet potato, with the skin on, chopped
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 4 dashes salt
- 4 dashes ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
- Heat a medium-size skillet on medium heat. Add the canola oil.
- Add the potato, salt and pepper. Stir.
- Add the bell pepper, and stir.
- Continue to cook until the potatoes start to crisp (about 12 minutes).
- Transfer the potatoes to a plate with a paper towel on it, and set aside for a moment.
- To a medium-size bowl, add the eggs and milk. Whisk together.
- Heat the medium-size skillet again, and add the butter.
- Add the potatoes and the eggs.
- Stir as the eggs scramble. Continue to stir until the eggs are thoroughly cooked (about 5 minutes).
- Transfer the eggs to a serving plate, and top with cheese.
- Serve while hot.
I feel like such a pastry chef when making these little puff pastry gems. It couldn’t be any easier to make these sausage bites either. And the sauce is easy to make using basic ingredients right out of the pantry.
Italian sausage puff pastry and Parmesan-tomato dipping sauce recipe
These crisp and flaky appetizers are made with premade puff pastry dough and Italian sausage and are dipped in a quick and easy Parmesan-tomato sauce.
Serves 4
Thaw time: 40 minutes | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes | Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Italian sausage puff pastry bites
- 1 Italian sausage, fully cooked, cut into 12 pieces
- 1 frozen ready-to-bake puff pastry sheet
- 1-1/2 tablespoons melted butter (for the top of the pastry)
- 2 teaspoons butter (to grease the cookie sheet)
For the Parmesan-tomato dipping sauce
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (or salt to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (or more if you like more heat)
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, for garnish
Directions:
For the Italian sausage puff pastry bites
- Let the puff pastry sheet thaw for 40 minutes (or according to the package directions).
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut the puff pastry sheet into 12 squares.
- Lay a piece of Italian sausage in a square. Fold in 2 opposite sides of the dough as you would when wrapping a present. Then fold in the other 2 sides of the dough, and pinch the seams.
- Lightly grease a large cookie sheet, and set the sausage pastry on it. Repeat the process for the rest of the pieces of sausage.
- Brush the top of each pastry with melted butter.
- Bake in the oven until the puff pastries turn a golden color (about 15 minutes).
- Remove from the oven, and transfer the pastries to a cooling rack. Let cool.
- Serve with Parmesan-tomato dipping sauce.
For the Parmesan-tomato dipping sauce
- To a medium-size bowl, add the tomato sauce, oregano, pepper, salt, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese. Stir together. Give it a quick taste test to see if more salt is preferred.
- Transfer to dipping bowls, and top with fresh basil.
- Serve with Italian sausage puff pastry bites.
Italian sausage and pasta are a match made in heaven. Try adding some dollops of ricotta cheese — and mozzarella cheese while you’re at it — and the dish gets even better. To me this dish tastes a lot like lasagna. Yum.
One-skillet Italian sausage pasta with ricotta cheese recipe
This super-easy one-pot pasta with plenty of cheese and Italian sausage will be your new favorite weeknight meal.
Serves 2
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes | Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 Italian sausage, removed from the casing, cooked thoroughly in bite-size pieces
- 2 cups cooked gigli pasta (or your favorite pasta)
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (or salt to taste)
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 teaspoons olive oil (for the bottom of the pan)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil (to drizzle on top of the pasta)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In an ovenproof serving pan or dish, drizzle the olive oil.
- Add the cooked pasta, and top with the tomato sauce.
- Evenly sprinkle the dried basil, pepper and salt on top.
- Top with dollops of ricotta cheese.
- Top with mozzarella cheese and pieces of Italian sausage.
- Drizzle more olive oil on top.
- Bake until the cheese has melted (about 10 minutes).
- Serve while hot.
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