Creamy Basil Baked Sausage – Low Carb, THM S

If you are looking for an easy dinner idea my Creamy Basil Baked Sausage should be on the menu. With only five ingredients and a five minute prep time, it is perfect when you are crunched for time.

One of my standard easy meals is dumping a pack of sausage into the crock pot and pouring in some pasta sauce. But, two of my children don’t really love for dinner. I wanted to come up with a meal that was just as easy that everyone would enjoy. This was the first time we had dinner sausage that my son willingly asked for seconds and then wanted leftovers for lunch the next day.

I use my homemade nut free basil pesto in this dish but store bought works just as well. I have to be careful of checking ingredients because we have a nut allergy in the house. Only a few nuts are severe, fortunately. I’m sure no one besides me has noticed that I haven’t published any new recipes using cashews or pistachios in the last year. But yup those are the two biggies on my daughter’s list.

This recipe feeds a lot of people. Mostly because it is rich and filling. My husband served himself two sausages but ended up eating only one of them. I beat him by eating one and a half. I figured one for me and then half of one for the baby.

I get asked about which sides to eat with my entrees a lot. We just rotate between the same four or five most night. Our standards are raw veggies and dip (the kids’ favorite), non-starchy veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, Brussel sprouts, zucchini), and salad (normally Caesar). Sometimes if I make a side that is less kid-friendly (spinach salad with blue cheese and pecans, for example) I will also put out raw veggies and dip.

This is as easy as baking the sausage, smearing with the sauce, covering with cheese, and baking more.

Creamy Basil Baked Sausage – 5 Ingredients, Low Carb, Grain Gluten Free, THM S

Ingredients:

3 lb Italian sausage (chicken, turkey, or pork)

8 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup basil pesto <— click for my easy 4 ingredient nut-free pesto recipe

1/4 cup heavy cream

8 oz mozzarella

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray. Put the sausage in the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile stir together the cream cheese, pesto, and heavy cream.

Spread the sauce on top of the sausage. Top with mozzarella. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the sausage is 160 degrees when checked with a meat thermometer.

Optional: Broil for 3 minutes to toast the cheese on top. Watch it constantly. It can burn easily.

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Creamy Basil Baked Sausage

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

Course: dinner, entree, Lunch, main dish

Servings: 8 -12 servings

Author: Taryn

Ingredients

• 3 lb Italian sausage chicken, turkey, or pork
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 cup basil pesto
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz mozzarella

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray. Put the sausage in the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile stir together the cream cheese, pesto, and heavy cream.
3. Spread the sauce on top of the sausage. Top with mozzarella. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the sausage is 160 degrees when checked with a meat thermometer.
4. Optional: Broil for 3 minutes to toast the cheese on top. Watch it constantly. It can burn easily.