Sweet Italian Sausage
Sweet Italian Sausage is so simple to make at home with a simple spice mix using pantry ingredients. The best homemade sausage for all of your favorite Italian meals.
Sweet Italian Sausage or mild Italian sausage is the best for making everything from homemade pizza to classic lasagna or this creamy Italian sausage pasta. It’s also perfect for quick appetizers like Sausage Pinwheels.
Sweet Italian Sausage ~ Homemade Sausage Recipe
We really enjoy grinding up our own sausage to have on hand for easy weeknight dinners with a simple blend of spices that makes the absolute best Italian pasta dinners.
Ingredients Needed for Sweet Italian Sausage Recipe
- Pork Butt or Pork Shoulder
- Brown Sugar
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Granulated Garlic
- Onion Powder
- Dried Thyme
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Basil
- Smoked Paprika
- Ground Fennel Seed
- Ground Red Pepper
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Other Items Needed for Making Sausage
How to Make Sweet Italian Sausage
- Place grinder parts in the freezer about 30 minutes before making sausage.
- Add brown sugar, salt, pepper, herbs and spices together in a bowl.
- Mix to combine and set aside.
- Cut pork into 2 inch chunks.
- Grind with the coarse grinding plate of a Meat Grinder. If you don’t have a grinder, you can pick up ground pork from your grocery store or ask the butcher to grind a pork shoulder for you.
- Add spice mixture to ground pork mix well.
- Run the pork mixture back through the grinder one more time.
- Divide into one pound packages and place in a freezer bag or use a Vacuum Sealer.
- Label packages with date and contents.
- Freeze sausage up to 3 months.
- Thaw sausage in refrigerator before cooking.
How to Cook Italian Sausage
- Add sausage to a skillet and cook over medium heat, breaking up into crumbles until well browned.
Recipes for Sweet Italian Sausage
- Sausage and Pepper Rice is one of my go- to meals for busy weeknights. The entire family loves it and it is so easy to make!
- Air Fryer Mini Pizzas are super quick and easy. Our favorite version has sausage and pepperoni and cook in just 4 minutes.
- Tuscan Sausage and Potato Soup is a crazy-delicious meal that is quick and easy with tons of flavors. One of my most requested recipes.
Homemade Sweet Italian Sausage is easy to make and great to have on hand for tasty weeknight dinners that the entire family will love.
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Sweet Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork shoulder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
- 1/4 teaspoons ground red pepper
Instructions
- Freeze grinder parts for about 30 minutes before starting.
- In a bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, basil, oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, ground red pepper and ground fennel. Set aside.
- Cut pork into 2 inch cubes.
- Assemble grinder using the coarse grind plate.
- Grind pork into a bowl.
- Mix ground pork and spices together with your hands or a wooden spoon.
- Run pork mixture through the grinder once more.
- Divide pork into one pound packages using freezer bags or vacuum seal for the best results.
- Label packages with contents and date.
- Freeze up to 3 months.
- To cook sausage: fry in a skillet over medium heat, breaking up into crumbles until well browned.
This recipe was super easy and super delicious! I even used this in a stuffed pepper recipe, and it was so good!