SAUSAGE AND PEPPER DIP

Ingredients

For the Sausage & Peppers

  • 1 lb / 454 g hot Italian sausage, casings removed (sweet or mild also works)

  • 1 tbsp / 15 ml olive oil, as needed

  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced into 1-inch strips

  • 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced into 1-inch strips

  • 1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced into 1-inch strips

  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

  • 4–6 cloves garlic, finely minced

  • 1 tbsp / 16 g tomato paste

  • 1½ tsp / 2 g dried oregano, divided

  • 1 tsp / 2 g crushed red pepper flakes or Calabrian chilies (optional)

  • ¼ cup / 60 ml dry white wine, for deglazing (optional)

For the Cheese Mixture

  • 8 oz / 227 g cream cheese, softened

  • 1 cup / 240 g sour cream

  • 4 oz / 113 g smoked provolone cheese, freshly shredded

  • 6 oz / 170 g low-moisture mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded, divided

  • ½ cup / 50 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

For Serving

  • Chopped fresh basil

  • Crackers (such as Firehook crackers)

  • Hot honey (optional)

Additional Notes

  • Sausage Mix: I used a 50/50 mix of sweet and hot sausage because I like a little sweet and hot action going on. You can use all sweet, all hot, or do both like me—whatever you want.

  • Hot Honey: Hot honey is optional for drizzling at the end, but I didn't actually add it to mine.

  • Serving & Reheating: In my opinion, this dip is best served warm or hot, eaten right away. I actually reheated some in the microwave the next day and it wasn't bad, but I haven't tried reheating it in the oven yet—though I'm sure the oven would be way more preferred if you're trying to reheat it.

  • Occasion: This is a really cool dish to whip out during a party or a sporting event—it's a dip after all, and it's super easy to put together.

  • Cracker Recommendation: I ate this with Firehook crackers because those are pretty fire. Shoutout to @heresyourbite for the recipe partnership with them, but regardless, I’ve already been eating Firehook crackers so it was nice to have something delicious to dip them in.

Method

  1. Preheat: Preheat your oven to 400°F / 204°C.

  2. Cook the Sausage: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat (use an oven-safe skillet if you want to bake the dip in the same pan). Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into small crumbles, for 7–9 minutes until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate, leaving about 1 tbsp of fat in the skillet (drain excess fat or add a drizzle of olive oil if dry).

  3. Cook the Peppers & Onion: Reduce heat to medium. Add the peppers and onion, season lightly with salt and black pepper, and cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very tender and lightly caramelized.

  4. Add the Aromatics: Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, 1 tsp of oregano, and red pepper flakes if using. Cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and the tomato paste darkens slightly. If using white wine, pour it in, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom, and simmer for 1–2 minutes until mostly evaporated. Remove from heat and reserve a small spoonful of the peppers and onions for topping.

  5. Build the Dip: In a large bowl, stir together the softened cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Fold in the smoked provolone, 4 oz / 113 g of the mozzarella, and ¼ cup / 25 g of the Parmesan. Stir in the cooked sausage, the remaining peppers and onions, and the remaining ½ tsp oregano (add another pinch of red pepper flakes if desired). Taste and adjust seasoning.

  6. Assemble: Spread the mixture evenly into a shallow 2–3 quart baking dish or your oven-safe skillet. Top with the remaining 2 oz / 57 g mozzarella, ¼ cup / 25 g Parmesan, and scatter the reserved peppers and onions over the top.

  7. Bake: Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes until hot and bubbling around the edges. Broil for 1–2 minutes, watching closely, until golden and bubbly on top.

  8. Rest & Serve: Let stand for 5 minutes. Finish with chopped fresh basil, a drizzle of hot honey if you want it, and serve warm with crackers.