Stuffed Italian Sausage
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When I need a filling family dinner without spending all evening in the kitchen, this stuffed Italian sausage is one of the recipes I jump to. It takes just three ingredients to make, and only a few minutes of prep before the oven does the rest.
I’ve always believed that some of the best meals are also the simplest. A good Italian sausage already has so much flavor, so stuffing it with mozzarella and baking it in marinara turns a handful of ingredients into a cozy dinner without a lot of extra work.
Italian sausage is one of my favorite ingredients for easy family meals. I also use it in Italian zucchini rolls when I want another simple way to turn sausage into dinner.
Why This Recipe is a Family Favorite
Each sausage is stuffed with mozzarella, then baked in marinara until the sausage is cooked through and the cheese is warm and melty. You get plenty of savory Italian flavor in every bite without a long ingredient list. It’s total comfort food, and low in carbs, too!
It’s also easy to scale depending on how many people you’re feeding. Make just a few sausages for dinner or prepare a larger baking dish full when you need to feed a crowd.
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are my important mom-tested cooking tips for making this recipe! I’ve made this countless times to save you from a failed attempt.
- Use sausages that are similar in size. They’ll cook more evenly and should reach a safe internal temperature around the same time.
- Choose links with intact casings. Avoid sausages with torn or split casings so they’re easier to cut, stuff, and transfer to the baking dish.
- Pat the sausages dry before cutting. This makes the links less slippery and easier to handle with a paring knife.
- Use a deep enough baking dish. The sausages will release juices as they cook, so a dish with higher sides helps keep everything contained. If you’re making a larger batch, use a second baking dish instead of crowding them too tightly.
- Keep some extra marinara for serving. I like to spoon a little extra sauce over each sausage when I plate it. It adds just the right finishing touch.
Ingredients
You only need three ingredients, so there’s no need for an extra trip to the grocery store or hunting down a long list of ingredients.
Italian sausage: Use sweet, mild, or spicy links in casings, whichever your family prefers. You can substitute chicken or turkey sausage links.
Mozzarella cheese: String cheese is my favorite because it’s already the right size for stuffing. You can substitute mozzarella cut from a block.
Marinara sauce: Use your favorite homemade or store-bought marinara. For more heat, substitute arrabbiata sauce.
Optional Additions
Add vegetables: Tuck finely diced bell peppers, onions, or mushrooms alongside the mozzarella.
Add toppings: Finish with Parmesan, fresh basil, parsley, or Italian seasoning.
How to Cook Stuffed Italian Sausage
For the full instructions, scroll or jump to the recipe card! ⬇️
Jump to Recipe
- Prepare the sausages. Use a sharp paring knife to slice each sausage lengthwise, about halfway through. Don’t cut all the way through! You just want to create a pocket for the mozzarella while keeping the sausage intact.
- Stuff and assemble. Gently open each sausage and tuck the mozzarella inside, then press the sides back around the cheese. Arrange the sausages over the marinara. It’s totally fine if they’re touching!
- Put some tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish. That prevents the sausages from sticking. Now add the stuffed sausage to the dish, cover it with foil, and pop it in the oven to bake. I recommend checking the links for doneness before serving, just to be sure. If a little cheese escapes while they bake, don’t worry. Just spoon it right back over the top.
Make it kid friendly: Use sweet or mild Italian sausage to keep the spice level kid-friendly. String cheese makes the filling familiar, and you can serve the sausage with pasta, rice, or another side your kids already enjoy.
How to Meal Prep Stuffed Sausages
This is a very easy meal prep idea! You can assemble everything up to a day ahead of time. Just stuff the sausages with mozzarella and arrange them in a baking dish over the marinara. Cover the baking dish with foil and refrigerate until you're ready to bake them.
To bake ahead for the week:
Prep and bake the stuffed sausage, following the instructions in the recipe card below. Wait until they are completely cool, then transfer them to an airtight container, or refrigerate them in the baking dish if you want to. When stored properly, they'll keep for about 4 days.
Store the leftover stuffed Italian sausage with some of the marinara to prevent them from drying out.
Reheating
For best results, reheat the sausages in a covered baking dish at 350°F until warmed through. Keeping some of the sauce with the sausages helps prevent them from drying out as they reheat.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve stuffed Italian sausage over Instant Pot spaghetti squash to soak up the extra marinara. For an easy vegetable side, you could pair it with roasted broccoli or some air fryer green beans.
If you don't mind the carbs, you could serve your meal with warm homemade focaccia bread or some cheesy breadsticks. Yum!
Stuffed Sausage Recipe FAQs
Yes, but string cheese or mozzarella cut from a block is easier to tuck inside the sausage. Shredded mozzarella can spill out more easily as it melts.
Not necessarily, but covering the baking dish helps prevent the sausages from browning too quickly while they cook. You can remove the foil toward the end if you want a little more browning on top.
After you make this recipe, please give it a star rating below and comment to let me know how it went!
Stuffed Italian Sausage
Video
Ingredients
Stuffed Sausages
- 1½ lb. Italian Sausage links about ¼ to ⅓ lb. each
- ½ lb. mozzarella cheese or 1 mozzarella cheese stick per sausage link
- ⅔ cup marinara sauce no sugar added
Optional Ingredients
- 3 zucchini spiralized
- 1 medium spaghetti squash cooked
- ¼ cup vegetables such as diced bell peppers, onions and mushrooms
- ¼ cup fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (20°C).
- Meanwhile, use a sharp paring knife or kitchen shears to slice each 1½ lb. Italian Sausage links from end to end, about halfway through. Be careful not to slice all the way through to the cutting board.
- Use your hands to carefully open each sausage along the cut, then fill the sliced sausages with a piece of ½ lb. mozzarella cheese. Press it in gently, then press the sides of the sausage back together to form its original shape, as best you can.
- Pour the ⅔ cup marinara sauce into a baking dish, using a spoon to spread it evenly across the bottom. Transfer the prepared sausages to the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
- While the sausage is cooking, prepare the 3 zucchini noodles or any other side dishes you might be making.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven, and pull the foil off the baking dish. Test the internal temperature of the sausages in a few places. The safe internal temperature for pork sausage is 160°F (71°F).
- Allow the dish to cool slightly, then use a spatula to transfer the sausages to a plate. Sprinkle with pepper, and ¼ cup fresh basil. Serve with your favorite sides.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
2026 Update: This recipe is still a favorite of ours! It's been updated to simplify the cooking instructions and include extra cooking tips. We hope you love it as much as we do!
Has anyone tried it with chicken sausage? I’d love to hear any feedback if you have!
Hi Christina, I think chicken sausage would work great! I haven’t tried it myself, but I love the idea! If you make it, please let us know how it goes. And if you use uncooked chicken sausage, just be sure it cooks to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F, per USDA. 🙂 -Laura
this is the second time round of using this recipe. Its quick & esasy to make and we love it. I did roasted onions peppers & grape tomatoes and pasta.
Hi Ann, I’m so thrilled to hear you love the recipe! I think the addition of onions, peppers, and tomatoes is awesome! 🙂 -Laura
Do you remove the casings?
Hi Kim, no I do not remove the casings, I simply slice through them! 🙂 -Laura
Has anyone thought this came out too greasy since the sausages are cooked right in the sauce and you’re not draining the grease out? I love the idea and the ingredients; just curious about how greasy they are.
Hi Ronnie! It hasn’t come out extra greasy in my opinion, but if you’d rather partially cook the sausages in a skillet first to render some of the fat off them, then transfer and cook, that might be a solution to this. Just cook them for a shorter amount of time to compensate. 🙂 -Laura
This was easy which was the best part of the recipe. My sausages curled so they lost all the stuffing. I would make more effort next time and shape the meat and add more filling.
Hi Melissa, I’m glad the recipe was easy to make and thanks for the feedback. I’d definitely recommend stuffing the sausages a little more carefully next time because the filling is my favorite part! Hope that works better for you! 🙂 -Laura
Think this would work with shredded cheese of any sort? If I’m out of mozzarella?
Hi Stephanie! I haven’t tried it myself but I believe most other cheeses would work interchangeably! 🙂 -Laura
Will try. I can only have goat cheese and non-cow cheese. Feta doesn’t sound good. Maybe Manchego.
Made these today using hot and mild Italian sausages for a 4th of July party. I also roasted red and green peppers with white onion. Served on toasted rolls. No leftovers. Will be making often. So Good!!
Hi Brenda! I’m so glad to hear you and your guests enjoyed the recipe so much! Love that you served them with bell peppers and onions and rolls, yum! 🙂 -Laura
Hi there,just wondered if I could try this with precooked chicken sausages?We don’t eat much pork but this sounds so good and easy I would love to try it.Thanks for any help you can give.
Marsha
Hi Marsha, I haven’t tried that myself, but I think that’s a great idea. To keep the sausage from getting dried out, I’d recommend cooking for less time, just until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through. If you try it, please let us know how it goes! 🙂 -Laura