20 Ground Sausage Dinner Recipes That Will Make Everyone Happy

updated Jan 18, 2024

Page URL

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

Credit: Kelli Foster

If you were to glimpse into my freezer at any given moment, I guarantee you’d find a pound or two of uncooked sausage inside. Hot Italian sausage is my preference — either ground sausage sold in bulk or as links — but really, no matter the variety, ground sausage makes delicious quick and easy dinners. It’s so packed with seasoning that you hardly need to do much to turn it into a meal.

Add crumbled, browned sausage to everything from a pot of pasta to a sheet pan piled with vegetables and you’ve instantly got a hearty and satisfying dinner on your hands. These 20 ground sausage recipes show off just how versatile and convenient (not to mention, crowd-pleasing) sausage really is.

1 / 20

Sausage Pasta with Spinach

This pasta with Italian sausage and heaps of baby spinach is a satisfying 35-minute meal that’s sure to become your weeknight standby.

2 / 20

This zuppa toscana recipe outdoes the popular Olive Garden menu item. Creamy with just a touch of heat and spice from hot Italian sausage, this potato and kale studded soup is rich and satisfying.

3 / 20

Caramelized Onion, Apple, and Sausage Pasta

A savory one-pot pasta with caramelized onions, apples, and Italian sausage.

4 / 20

Creamy Gnocchi with Kale and Sausage

As opposed to making a béchamel or Mornay, the creamy cheese in this recipe acts as the sauce, melting into the sausage and kale, ringing out punchy flavors from the garlic and spotlighting the delicate notes from the herbs.

5 / 20

Pasta alla Boscaiola

Made with Italian sausage, dried mushrooms, tomato sauce, and heavy cream, pasta alla boscaiola will be your new favorite Italian comfort food.

6 / 20

Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Sausage and Peppers

Grab just three ingredients (ground sausage, bell peppers, and potato gnocchi) toss them together on a sheet pan, and in under 30 minutes you’ve got pure dinner magic on your hands.

7 / 20

Easy, Supremely-Satisfying Sausage Meatball Soup

Nothing against homemade meatballs, but this speedy shortcut gives them some stiff competition. Here uncooked ground sausage is rolled into bite-sized balls and pan-fried for a lazy approach.

8 / 20

Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

A hearty Italian sausage and cheese tortellini soup that's complex yet so comforting.

9 / 20

Orecchiette with Caramelized Fennel and Spicy Sausage

Caramelized onions, sure, but caramelized fennel? Slow-cooking the vegetable brings out its natural sweetness and really makes it something special — especially when you add spicy sausage.

10 / 20

Pasta with Cauliflower, Sausage & Breadcrumbs

This is a delicious and easy pasta — my favorite kind — with mostly pantry ingredients and Italian sausage to wow it up.

11 / 20

Sausage and Eggplant Summer Frittata

If you’re worried a frittata isn’t hearty enough for dinner, you haven’t made this one yet. It’s so jam-packed with sausage, eggplant, goat cheese, and herbs that you definitely won’t go hungry.

12 / 20

Sausage Ragù over Creamy Polenta

If you have the time to make the creamy polenta in this recipe, it’s well worth it. However, if you’d rather speed things up, simply toss the ragù with your favorite pasta.

13 / 20

Gnocchi Lasagna with Spinach, White Beans, and Sausage

This crowd-pleasing casserole is surprisingly light and fresh, thanks to the addition of spinach and white beans. Use plant-based sausage instead of pork sausage to make it vegetarian.

14 / 20

5-Ingredient Sausage Stuffed Onions

Stuffed onion halves with a mix of ground sausage, mushrooms, and herbs makes for a satisfying dinner that’s naturally gluten-free and low in carbohydrates.

15 / 20

Fried Potatoes and Sausage Skillet

This simple skillet really can be dinner, lunch, or breakfast. Feel free to mix up the components, too: Try swapping in sweet potatoes or another color bell pepper. You also can’t go wrong with topping servings with a fried egg.

16 / 20

Sausage-and-Peppers Stuffed Eggplant

A classic combination of Italian sausage and sweet peppers ensures these eggplant boats are hearty and satisfying.

17 / 20

Sausage and Tomato Risotto

You’ve been warned: This comforting risotto is extra moreish. So it’s practically expected that you’ll go in for seconds.

18 / 20

Sausage and Kale Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Spicy sausage, juicy tomatoes, salty cheese, and buttery strands of squash — this satisfying dinner has it all, and it’s incredibly easy too.

19 / 20

Crispy Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Mushrooms, Sausage, and Butternut Squash

A fall-inspired recipe for crispy sheet pan gnocchi that comes together in 30 minutes.

20 / 20

Spicy Sausage and Rice Soup

Go ahead and use whatever type of Italian sausage you like—chicken or pork, hot or sweet. Don’t veer from the brown rice, however. Not only becauseof its whole-grain goodness, but also because brown rice actually holdsup better in the soup and won’t turn to mush when you reheat leftover bowls.

Filed in:

Freezer Friendly