Cheesy Lasagna Dip with Sausage: If you love Italian food, this lasagna-inspired appetizer will become a new favorite!

Gooey and flavorful, this Italian Dip is perfect for game day or to start off an Italian meal!!

Cheesy Lasagna Dip with Sausage on a toast with a sprig of basil

Why You Must Make

  • It’s a hearty dip that’s great for game day!
  • If you love lasagna, you will adore this hearty dip.
  • If you’re worried about the calories, serve with crudite!

Gooey cheese, tomato sauce, tender pasta…there were no complaints when my mom served up lasagna for dinner. Granted, she used cottage cheese instead of ricotta or bechamel, but her Midwest version was truly satisfying. So when I started to see scads of recipes for Lasagna Dip from my food blogger friends and more, I knew it would be a dish I’d test out on my book club. 

Lasagna Dip on toast on a square white plate

 

Tips for Making

  • You may use ricotta or cream cheese in this recipe. I found the ricotta to add too much liquid to the dip, but if that’s all you have on hand, it will still be tasty.
  • A flavorful Italian sausage will work best. I use a mild version, but if you’d like a spicier dip, go for it.
  • Feel free to shake up the cheese with a Provolone or an Italian blend instead of just mozzarella.
  • Use a jar of marinara sauce to reduce the prep time.
  • You can also add some crushed red pepper flakes to your sauce to up the heat.
  • Make sure to brown, crumble, and drain your sausage well before using.
  • To make baguette toasts, brush baguette slices with olive oil, then toast in the oven, watching carefully.

My first try was a cheesy lasagna dip with a ricotta base and a sauce using diced tomatoes, which was quite tasty…served with thin baguette toasts. But my sauce and/or the ricotta created a bit of a watery puddle in the bottom of the serving dish…which was easily remedied by pouring the excess off while holding the dip in place with a spoon. OK when making for family, but not exactly ideal when a crowd will be at the door at any minute!

Next up in the test kitchen was a cream cheese version utilizing a sauce with Tuttorosso’s Crushed Tomatoes with Basil in lieu of those diced tomatoes. Much better. And this creamier, cheesy lasagna dip with sausage was much more satisfying. The family inhaled this before dinner after attending Easter Vigil Mass. Whew; a success.

FYI: The top photo is the dip with ricotta cheese and the bottom two are of the version using cream cheese.

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Cheesy Lasagna Dip with Sausage

Cheesy Lasagna Dip with Sausage

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield 8 servings

An appetizer inspired by the classic lasagna recipe!!

Ingredients

For dip:

  • 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage, cooked, crumbled and drained
  • 1 cup marinara sauce (store bought or homemade )
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature (may substitute ricotta, if desired. Drain well.)
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella

For Marinara:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons red wine

Instructions

To make marinara:

  1. Saute onion in olive oil till softened. Add garlic and cook for just a minute or two.
  2. Add the salt, pepper, tomatoes, bay leaf, and oregano. Bring to a simmer and add red wine. Cook for about 30 minutes, taste, and add more seasoning as needed.
  3. Remove bay leaf before using.

To make the dip:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Spread cream cheese on the bottom of a pie plate or small casserole dish.
  2. Mix sausage and marinara sauce and layer over cream cheese. Top with mozzarella.
  3. Bake for 15 minutes or till cheese is melted, starting to bubble, and lightly browned.
  4. Serve warm with baguette toasts.

Notes

May use a spicier Italian sausage if desired.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 231Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 769mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 11g

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