15 Quick and Easy Recipes That Start with Ground Sausage

updated Jan 4, 2023

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Overhead photo of 4 -ingredient creamy gnocchi with kale and sausage being stirred in a skillet — Credit: Photo: Christopher Testani; Food Styling: Rebecca Jurkevich; Prop Styling: Paige Hicks
Creamy Gnocchi with Kale and Sausage

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 is my preference — either ground sausage sold in bulk or as links — but really, no matter the variety, sausage is a true dinner miracle. 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 rice to a baking sheet piled with vegetables and you’ve instantly got a hearty and satisfying dinner on your hands. It doesn’t matter if it’s pork, turkey, or chicken sausage — it all holds equal potential. These 15 recipes show off just how versatile and convenient (not to mention, crowd-pleasing) sausage really is.

1 / 15

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 / 15

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.

3 / 15

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.

4 / 15

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.

5 / 15

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.

6 / 15

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.

7 / 15

Sweet Potato Hash with Caramelized Onions, Sausage & Eggs

The best way to enjoy this sausage and sweet potato hash: Bring the whole sheet pan to the center of the table and let everyone serve themselves.

8 / 15

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.

9 / 15

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.

10 / 15

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.

11 / 15

Cauliflower & Chicken Sausage Casserole

While this vegetable-packed casserole calls for uncooked chicken sausage, feel free to use pork or turkey sausage if that’s what you have on hand or it’s what you prefer.

12 / 15

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 / 15

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 / 15

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.

15 / 15

Sausage-and-Peppers Stuffed Eggplant

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

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