31 Recipes With Sausage For a Delicious Protein Boost (2024)

Sure, chicken and ground beef are versatile in their own right, but sausage might just have those two popular proteins beat. Why, you ask? Sausage is usually made from ground meat, but that meat can be pork, beef, poultry, or even veal. In fact, as many plant-based eaters already know, you can also make veggie and vegan sausage with ingredients like beans, oats, and more.

Plus, since sausage is also made with salt and various spices, it can have many distinct flavor profiles that make it suitable for a variety of palates as well as breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In the mood for something savory and smokey? Give chorizo a try. Prefer something slightly sweet? Stock up on breakfast sausage or some sweet Italian sausage. No matter what you’re craving, these recipes with sausage will keep you happy and full!

20 Easy Ground Chicken Recipes to Make for Dinner Tonight

Grilled Sausage Hoagies With Mango Salsa

Fire up your grill and make these juicy sausage hoagies, which are served with a succulent mango-and-lime salsa that's studded with red bell pepper, red onion, and jalapeño on toasted hoagie buns. Use your preferred type of sausage for these sandwiches, be it Italian, bratwurst, chicken, or vegan.

Spicy Chorizo-and-Pinto Bean Chili

Chorizo—a highly seasoned Spanish sausage—brings plenty of flavor to this hearty soup. The bold dish also includes onions, poblano pepper, and pinto beans in a tomato-y broth, and is best served topped with nutrient-dense avocado, cabbage, and lime wedges. If you want some crunch, go ahead and add corn chip pieces.

Skillet Gnocchi With Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Pillowy gnocchi, tender fennel, meaty sausage, and pleasantly bitter broccoli rabe join forces for this comforting dinner that comes together in 30 minutes. Aside from the broccoli rabe, everything cooks in a single skillet, which means you won’t be stuck doing a pile of dishes long after everyone has cleared their plates.

Chickpea and Chorizo Salad

This 25-minute salad combines protein-packed chickpeas, colorful tomatoes, and smoky Spanish chorizo. This easy-to-make meal, which can be made up to a day in advance, is tossed with a sherry vinegar vinaigrette that’s been spiked with honey and smoked paprika, so the result is a dish that’s tangy, smoky, and subtly sweet.

Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies

There’s nothing not to love about a sheet pan meal, and we’re especially fond of this one since it only takes 20 minutes from start to finish. Here, you’ll begin by broiling the sausage, bell peppers, tomatoes, shallots, garlic, oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet. After turning the sausage and veggies halfway through the cooking time, remove the sheet pan from the oven, sprinkle with oregano, and serve with warm bread.

Sausage and Fontina Spaghetti Pie

This family-friendly dinner has it all—spaghetti slathered in creamy vodka sauce, flavorful Italian sausage, kale, fragrant sage, eggs, and creamy fontina cheese. Once the savory pie is formed, but before it’s baked, dollop it with ricotta for added richness.

Stuffing With Sausage and Raisins

This comforting dish combines crusty country bread, sweet raisins, and savory sausage for the perfect side. While this sweet and savory stuffing will obviously be a hit on Thanksgiving, you can totally whip up a batch for other winter holidays as well.

Cheesy Baked Pasta

This cheesy baked pasta recipe combines orecchiette pasta with sausage, broccoli rabe, and a creamy marinara sauce. That creaminess comes from the secret ingredient—cream cheese—while grated Parmesan ups the cheesiness factor. If you’ve ever combined mac and cheese with a bit of tomato sauce, this recipe is for you.

Shrimp and Chorizo Skillet Supper

For a protein that’s packed with flavor, turn to smoky chorizo. Here, the delicious meat is joined by sweet, extra-large shrimp and vibrant tomato-braised chickpeas to create a seriously drool-worthy dish. Make a little extra and serve leftovers over pasta, rice, or with a slice of crusty bread to enjoy this dish a second time.

Sausage, Lentil, and Kale Soup

You only need one pot for this hearty and comforting soup, which is made with lentils, a whopping five cups of kale, and sweet Italian sausage. Serve this dish with a crusty baguette for sopping up every last drop.

One-Pot Chicken Sausage and Beans

We love this cassoulet-inspired dish because it can also be made in one pot. To start, cook the smoky andouille chicken sausage, which renders flavorful drippings that you'll use to coat the breadcrumbs for topping. Then, you'll build a tomato-enriched filling made with soft onions, juicy tomatoes, and rich ground pork. All this joins two cans full of tender cannellini beans, which are on hand to absorb the saucy deliciousness.

Shrimp and Chorizo Stew

For a more broth-based take on paella, give this recipe a whirl. Here, a base of smoky chorizo, earthy fennel seeds, and juicy tomatoes is paired with fiber-rich chickpeas and juicy shrimp. And don’t skimp on the broiled, garlic-rubbed baguette, which allows you to sop up the juices at the end of the meal.

Detroit-Style Pizza With Sausage and Peppers

Detroit-style pizza is known for its extra-crispy crust and thick dough. This pie, which you can whip up in an hour, is topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, crispy sausage, Cheddar cheese, and pickled banana peppers. Just make sure to get some cheese in contact with the pan so you get that classic, cheese-laced edge that sets Detroit-style pizza apart from other pies.

Black Bean and Sausage Mexican Pizzas

If you’ve ever thought about combining tacos and pizza, this recipe is for you. Inspired by the popular Oaxacan tlayuda from Mexico, this version is made with a quick chorizo and bean mixture that nestles into cheese-topped crispy tortillas. A bright and spicy cabbage slaw tops each pizza and ties the whole thing together.

Hazelnut Romesco Pasta Salad

Pasta and a classic Spanish sauce made of roasted red bell peppers with tart sherry vinegar, tomato paste, and hazelnuts (in place of the traditional almonds) join forces in this flavorful dish that can be enjoyed as a side or on its own. Here, fusilli spirals mingle with smoky bits of chorizo and sweet golden raisins that balance the rich sauce.

Cornbread Sausage Dressing

This make-ahead Thanksgiving side dish pairs sweet cornbread with hot Italian pork sausage and Honeycrisp apple pieces. There are plenty of veggies in this stuffing too, like celery and onions, while sage adds an earthy flavor.

One-Pot Italian Sausage-Gnocchi Soup

With one pot and just nine ingredients, you can make this simple soup that also manages to be rich and hearty. Inside, you’ll find turkey sausage and potato gnocchi in every bite. You'll start by cooking the sausage with onion and garlic so that the rendered drippings infuse the broth. Then, you’ll add a can of diced tomatoes, and all that's left is to poach the gnocchi in the liquid as it simmers and fold in a handful of baby spinach. Easy enough, right?

Sheet Tray Pizzas

Using a baking sheet to prepare a pizza is a great way to make a perfectly rectangular pie with a slightly thicker crust. Per this recipe, top your DIY pizza with marinara sauce, hot Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella, Parmesan, fennel, and sliced serrano peppers. If you're lucky enough to have leftovers, simply slide the covered sheet pan directly into your freezer and freeze the pizza for up to one month.

Slow Cooker Frittata With Sausage and Waffle Fries

If you’ve never cooked a frittata in a slow cooker, now is your chance to give it a try. Using the popular appliance ensures the eggs won’t be dry or rubbery, and it means even less work for you. This particular frittata is packed with bits of breakfast sausage, waffle fries, cheese, and more.

Lentil Soup With Sausage

While lentil soup is tasty and hearty in its own right, adding kielbasa—a Polish sausage—delivers more flavor and protein to the final product. This soup, which comes together in less than an hour, also includes canned diced tomatoes, lentils, onion, celery, and fragrant rosemary.

Potato Tot Breakfast Casserole

This casserole brings together all the breakfast heavy hitters—tater tots, sausage, eggs, and cheese—to yield a breakfast that requires less than 20 minutes of hands-on work, but can easily feed a crowd. If you can handle spice, opt for a more flavorful sausage, like chorizo, in place of the mild breakfast sausage.

Easy Pork Dumplings

Dumplings are a takeout classic, but once you learn how to make them yourself, you may never order them in again. And, as it turns out, going the DIY route is easier than it sounds. You’ll start by stirring together the filling, which consists of sausage, scallions, cilantro, egg, soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil. Then, you’ll place a little bit of the filling in the center of a wonton wrapper and carefully close it with your fingers. Once the dumplings are sealed, you’ll cook them on the stove and serve ‘em with a punchy dipping sauce.

Italian Baked Eggs With Tomato Sauce

Eggs cooked in tomato sauce are delicious enough in their own right, but when you add hot Italian sausage and some spices to the mix the final result is even better. Just be sure to serve this dish with a crusty baguette (ideally topped with mozzarella) so none of that rich tomato sauce goes to waste.

Sheet Pan Clambake

Yes, you can host a clambake with just two sheet pans, and it’s simpler than you might think. You’ll toss the standard ingredients—potatoes, sausage, shrimp, mussels, and clams with a generous amount of smoky, paprika-spiced butter—and then sit back while the oven does all the work. Serve with grilled corn for the ultimate summer meal.

Cheesy Sausage Pasta Bake with Brussels Sprouts

This cheesy sausage pasta bake is basically a loaded mac and cheese. Inside, you’ll find rigatoni tubes with sausage, charred Brussels sprouts, and a Worcestershire-spiked cheese sauce that’s tangy, creamy, and delicious.

Shrimp Linguine With Chorizo

In this flavorful dish, spicy Spanish chorizo is joined by juicy shrimp and toasted breadcrumbs. Double down on the Spanish theme with a white wine like Txakoli, or red such as Tempranillo, which will complete this 20-minute meal.

Creamy Polenta With Sausage and Chard

There are three major components to this meal—soft polenta, crispy sausage bits, and hearty Swiss chard cooked in sausage drippings—that manage to perfectly balance one another. If you’re in the mood for a drink, opt for a red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec that can stand up to the flavors on display.

Sausage, Spinach, and Provolone Pizza

Sure, sausage is a popular pizza topping that goes well with just about anything, but there’s something about pairing it with spinach and provolone that kicks things up a notch. Top this white pizza with crushed red pepper flakes or truffle oil for even more flavor.

Pasta With Chicken Sausage, Corn, Leeks, and Mushrooms

Pre-cooked sausage (which you just need to heat up) is the key to this 20-minute pasta. The savory meat is joined by sweet corn morsels, earthy cremini mushrooms, and onion-y leeks. When choosing a pasta shape, opt for something short like gemelli or casarecce.

Fancy Pigs in a Blanket

No party is complete without pigs in a blanket, and these fancy piggies are bound to delight all of your guests. Using frozen puff pastry and the sausage of your choice, these bite-sized nibbles are ready in just 30 minutes.

Butternut Squash and Sausage Stuffing

Sweet butternut squash and sausage meet in this delicious stuffing recipe. Drippings from the sausage are reserved to cook the celery, onion, and bell pepper in, giving every inch of the stuffing a full-bodied flavor. With less than an hour of prep time, this sausage recipe is simple and satisfying.