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My Italian Sausage Dip is so creamy and delicious, made with spicy sausage, 3 types of cheese and lots of spicy elements. This is the perfect appetizer for tailgate parties or the holidays.
For more spicy dips, try my Jalapeno Artichoke Dip, or my Jalapeño Popper Dip.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients – I love when I can whip up an appetizer with ingredients that are super easy to find and that I usually have on hand. This one uses cream cheese, Italian sausage, Mozzarella and Parmesan, plus diced tomatoes and pepperoncinis, plus a few seasonings.
- Customizable – The dip is pretty spicy as it is, at least for me, but you can easily customize the heat to your liking. To make it more spicy, add more red pepper flakes, or try using Rotel instead of plain diced tomatoes, or just add a can of diced green chilis.
- 3 Kinds of Cheese – I love a good cheesy dip and this one has three creamy cheeses to fulfill that desire.
- No Fuss – Just cook the sausage, then mix all the ingredients together. Easy peasy!
recipe walkthrough
Ingredients for Sausage Dip
You don’t need anything fancy, just 6 main ingredients, plus some seasonings.
- Spicy Italian Sausage – A package of ground sausage, or links with the casings removed. If you prefer, you can use ground turkey, ground beef or ground pork instead.Cream Cheese – Full fat, brick style.
- Mozzarella Cheese – Freshly grated, off the block. Don’t bother with the pre-shredded bagged cheese; it has a coating that keeps it from sticking together, but also prevents proper melting.
- Parmesan Cheese – Also freshly shredded.
- Diced Tomatoes – canned, juice drained. To increase the heat level, try using a can of Rotel tomatoes with green chiles.
- Pepperoncinis – also drained and chopped.
How To Make Spicy Sausage Cheese Dip
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
- Cook the sausage and drain off the excess grease (as much as you can or the dip will be greasy).
- Mix all the ingredients together and spread them in a baking dish.
- Top with more cheese and pop it in the oven.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
Serving Suggestions
I am a sucker for anything bread so I love to serve hearty dips like this with toasted bread slices, also known as crostini. They are sturdier than a typical cracker and will hold up better to a more substantial dip such as this one.
However you could definitely serve crackers on the side but I would go for one that’s a little stronger, like pita crisps or Wheat Thins. Tortilla chips or corn chips (like Fritos Scoops) are good too.
Storage Tips
Storing and Reheating
Storage – Place cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a 325℉ oven.
Make Ahead – You can prepare this dish up to 24 hours in advance, just don’t bake it until you’re about ready to serve. It’s best fresh.
Recipe Tips
- Drain the grease – Make sure to completely drain as much grease off of the sausage as possible. Blot with paper towels if you have to. Otherwise your dip will be greasy.
- Grate by hand – Always grate cheese fresh from the block when you can. Pre-shredded cheese contains an anti-caking agent that prevents proper melting.
- Brown the cheese – I love using Mozzarella cheese in dips because you get that beautiful golden brown color when you broil it. Sometimes just baking will do the trick, but during the last few minutes, you can switch to your oven’s broiler setting to get that golden color.
- Slow Cooker – Combine all the ingredients in a 3 quart crock pot, cover and heat on LOW for 2-3 hours.
- Less Spicy – If you think this dip might be too spicy there are a few simple ways to tone down the heat, like using regular pork sausage or mild Italian sausage instead of spicy and omit the red pepper flakes. I would leave the pepperoncinis in because they add a good tanginess that balances the spicy and creamy.
More Hot Dip Recipes
- Jalapeno Popper Dip
- Crab Dip Recipe
- Hot Onion Bacon Dip
- Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Cheesy Baked Garlic Dip
- Loaded Corn Dip
Spicy Italian Sausage Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound Spicy Italian sausage cooked and drained
- 12 ounces Cream cheese softened
- 1 3/4 cups Freshly grated Mozzarella Cheese divided
- 1/2 cup Freshly shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
- 15 ounce Can diced tomatoes drained
- 3/4 cup Pepperoncinis drained and diced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- Fresh chopped basil for garnish
- Crostini, toasted bread or crackers for dipping
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook sausage, breaking apart with a spatula, until fully cooked and no longer pink. Drain as much grease as possible from the skillet, using paper towels if necessary. Set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes before proceeding with the next step.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray a 2 ½ quart (I used an 11-inch oval) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine Italian sausage, softened cream cheese, ¾ cup shredded Mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, diced tomatoes, Pepperoncinis, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and red pepper flakes.
- Spread the sausage mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with reserved ¾ cup mozzarella and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning if desired.
- Bake at 350℉ for 20 minutes, or until bubbly. For additional browning of the cheese, switch to the broiler during the last few minutes, but watch closely as it can burn quickly.
- Garnish with fresh chopped basil, if desired. Serve with crostini or crackers for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Just wondering if this might work in a crock pot? I work from 8 to 5 and our lunch potluck is at Noon – so I can’t really make this early and let it sit for four hours. Has anyone tried that?
I think you should prep it and put in the crock pot and refrigerate it at night. Then when you get to work, plug it in and heat on low. It will be ready by the time you have your potluck. After 3 hours on low if you can check it and switch to warm that could help. Also, because it will probably have some condensation, you could lay some paper towels along the top of the crock pot and hold them in place with the lid. This should keep the liquid from making the dip watery. Good luck!
This dip recipe has quickly become a family and friend favorite. Super easy and fast to put together. I highly recommend!
Awesome feedback Kendall! Thanks for stopping by.
Great recipe. I love Italian sausage and this recipe is simply delicious. It’s too much for three people , my question is can I freeze leftovers and for how long?
Yes, you can freeze it. With the combination of dairy and the grease from the sausage, the texture might change a bit when it’s defrosted. Reheat gently.
I’m about to make this. Stupid question. Do you cut up the sausage first or remove the skins first & then cook?
No stupid questions! I actually use ground sausage, which is available in packages just like you’d buy ground beef or ground turkey. If you only have link sausages, you would remove the casing and just cook the meat inside.
Quick question. Can I make this in a crock pot? High/low times?
You can but the meat would have to be fully cooked first. Then cook it on low for maybe an hour or two until everything is melted and creamy.
How far in advance can you mix/prep/ refrigerate before baking?
I would say no more than 24 hours in advance to prep.
This recipe is AMAZING! Super easy, I bake it right in the ceramic crock pot so I can bring it parties and keep it warm! Everyone always LOVES it, there’s never any leftover to bring back home!
Nice! Love the feedback Kaycee! Thanks for stopping by.
Great idea!
I made this for the Italian Grand Prix last weekend and it was a huge success. I served it with crostini and pita chips but next time I think I will also add veggies as an option. Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely be making this again.
You are so welcome! Love the feedback, thanks for stopping by.
I made this for a Masters party we were invited to this weekend and there wasn’t a drop left! So delicious!
Nice! Thanks for the awesome comment Jen.
Do you brown the sausage first or add it raw?
You will need to cook it first, as mentioned in the ingredients list.
Today will be the second time I’ve made this dip. The first, was for a Christmas party. It was a hit. Tonight, it’ll be for a intimate dinner/night with the wife. This recipe is a “one size fits all”. Works perfectly for any occasion.
Nice! Thank you so much for your feedback fred!
Is there a crock pot version
You could make this in the crockpot, just be sure to use fully cooked sausage. Heat on low for about 2 hours.
Should have read all the comments. This was my question. Thanx. Making it for a fundraiser. Can’t wait!
This looks delicious. Do you think it would work as a Lasagna mixture?
I think it could work, layering it between noodles and adding more Mozzarella cheese.
Hi! If I’m bringing this to a party should I bake it in advance and then reheat it? Or prep everything and bake there? Any suggestions?!
It would probably be ok to bake and reheat, but if you can, I’d prep and then bake it there.
Do you think it would work to sub some Greek yogurt in for part of the cream cheese to make it a bit healthier? I am fairly health-conscious, but want to face plant in this dip!!!
I think you could maybe use half of the cream cheese and half greek yogurt. It may not be as thick, but it would work.