Stuffed Italian Sausage

by KetoFocus.com

A simple 3 ingredient dinner you can throw together in minutes

For nights when you don't know what to make, this stuffed Italian sausage is a go-to that the whole family will love. Italian sausage is stuffed with a mozzarella cheese stick and baked in marinara. It's a simple fix using ingredients you may already have on hand.

I love no-brainer recipes. The ones that you know the ingredients and recipe off the top of your head. This stuffed sausage recipe is one of those. Just like my pizza bowl or stuffed peppers, it’s one that I can easily whip together without any effort.

a white baking dish with cheese covered sausages in marinara sauce

There are also meals that my family loves where I like to keep these ingredients on hand, especially on nights when I need to get dinner on the table but don’t have anything planned. With this three ingredient stuffed sausage recipe – all you need is Italian sausage (which usually keep in the refrigerator for a long time), mozzarella cheese sticks (ya know, the kind your kids eat – but not the fried mozzarella sticks), and marinara sauce. All of that goes in a baking dish and in the oven.

Once your dinner bakes, you are left with gooey cheese stuffed sausages to serve along side noodles or asparagus. Top with fresh parsley, fresh basil or a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese.

How to make stuffed Italian sausages

  1. Cut a vertical slit down each sausage. Only go to the middle and not all the way through.
  2. Stuff a mozzarella cheese stick into the slit of each sausage.
  3. Place stuffed sausages in a baking dish and pour in marinara sauce.
  4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake.

a jar of marinara, 5 italian sausages and a package of string cheese

Key ingredients

  • Italian sausages – You want the sausage with the casing on them because you want your sausages to hold together as they bake. You can use mild Italian sausages, hot Italian sausages or even Bratwurst. Although it will work in this recipe, I avoid sweet Italian sausages as they are higher in sugar.
  • Mozzarella cheese sticks – Here we use the string cheese sticks that my kids like to have for snack. They are the perfect length and size to be stuffed into a sausage, but you can use other flavors of cheese. Try pepper jack, colby or even cheddar cheese sticks in your cheese stuffed sausage.
  • Marinara sauce – Grab your favorite pasta sauce. I like to find ones with less sugar in them or you can use tomato sauce if that is all you have.

Stuffed Italian Sausage Recipe Video

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Stuffed Italian Sausage Ingredients

  • 5 Italian sausage links
  • 5 mozzarella cheese sticks
  • 1/2 cup marinara sauce, divided
  • dash Italian seasoning, optional

Stuffed Italian Sausage Directions

  • Stuffed Italian Sausage
  • top picture shows five sausages stuffed with a white cheese stick, bottom photo is pulling out a baked sausage with cheesy melted on top

    Variations

    This is the basic recipe for Italian stuffed sausages; however, you could add some extras to make it even better. Try adding the following inside or outside your stuffed sausages.

    • pepperoni
    • salami
    • black olives
    • cream cheese
    • add sliced onion and bell pepper surrounding the sausages within the sauce
    • ricotta cheese
    • olive oil
    • spinach
    • garlic (or garlic powder)
    dinner table with a glass of wine behind a plate with two cheese stuffed sausages and broccoli on a plate

    Marinara sauce

    I like to use a no added sugar marinara sauce from the jar. Many pizza and marinara sauces add sugar to make their sauce taste better, but we don’t need those unnecessary carbs.

    Read the back of the label and look for one that is lowest in carbs with no additional sugar.

    If you don’t have marinara sauce or can’t find one you like, use tomato sauce! You can add some pizazz to your sauce by incorporating dried herbs or even garlic to the sauce.

    Storage information

    Store this in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can store it non-baked (a great way to meal prep) or baked.

    This can also be frozen and make a freezer meal out of it! Free it not baked, tightly wrapped for 1-2 months. Bake from frozen for 50-60 minutes.

    Stuffed Italian Sausage: FAQS

    Can I use hot dogs instead?

    Yes! Although you may not want to add the marinara sauce. And try using a cheddar cheese stick instead.

    Can I double this recipe?

    Absolutely, you can double this recipe. Just use 10 sausages and 10 cheese sticks. You will need to add a little extra marinara sauce as well.

    Is this stuffed sausage recipe keto?

    Yes, stuffed Italian sausages are keto. All of the components are keto from the sausages, string cheese and marinara. There are 2.8 g net carbs per sausage link so you can have 1-2 per meal.

    Nutritional information & Macros

    Nutrition Information

    Stuffed Italian Sausage

    Servings: 5

    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 302
    Fat 22.8g
    Protein 20.2g
    Total Carbs 3g
    Net Carbs 2.8g

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    8 Comments

    1. I shared this with my daughter and her family loved it! But we were wondering are the sausages raw or pre-cooked? She used raw which seemed to work out for her. Thanks.

    2. I made this and it was delicious. I cook for one, so I only stuffed two sausage links. I added chunks of onion and red & green bell pepper, and I used my own secret recipe sauce! I served it with some Rotini pasta. It was as good as any restaurant! I’ll definitely make this again.

    3. Thank you for this fun and inventive recipe! I cook with Italian sausage a lot, so I was looking for ways to switch it up. My son took one look at this dish, and said “You’re making that, right?” It’s in the oven now and I’m pretty excited.

    4. Okay, let me just say, I’ve been following you for little over a year now. This was a really great recipe! I make it about twice a week. It takes no time at all to make. And I was thinking about paring it with the pickle chips or avocado fries. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe!

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