Cheesy Sausage Bean Dip

This Cheesy Sausage Bean Dip is the ultimate party appetizer! Made with flavorful spicy sausage, sautéed onions, bell peppers, garlic and spinach, along with cream cheese and white beans. Topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese and served with toasted bread or Frito corn chips!

Get ready to be obsessed with this dip! Our family loves this Cheesy Sausage Bean Dip that is made with simple ingredients, but really packs in the flavor! This crowd-pleasing appetizer is super hearty thanks to flavorful sausage and cannellini beans while the sautéed veggies and fresh herbs make this oh so savory and aromatic. This is an appetizer that I make every Thanksgiving and serve at every holiday party. The pops of red and green make it perfect for your Christmas menu and we love serving this on game day as well!

Why You’ll Love This

Comfort food – this hearty dip is loaded with bold, savory flavors, rich creamy cheese and feels indulgent without being heavy.
Wholesome ingredients – this dip is made with a combination of sautéed onions, red bell pepper, garlic, leafy spinach, fresh thyme and white beans for a high-protein, flavor-packed dip.
Crowd favorite – when I say this is the most popular appetizer I have ever served, that is an understatement. Everyone absolutely raves about this recipe and it is gone in seconds!
Great holiday appetizer – not only is this a great make-ahead recipe, but the pops of red and green make it perfect for your holiday spread! I recommend doubling the recipe for a crowd as it goes fast!

Ingredients You’ll Need

hot sausage – I like to use spicy ground sausage in this recipe for a little kick of spice, but feel free to use sweet Italian sausage, ground turkey sausage, ground chicken or ground beef.
onion – I used one large sweet onion, but you could use yellow onion,
red bell pepper – this adds a pop of color and some sweetness to the dip. You could also use jarred roasted red peppers for even more flavor or even chopped tomatoes.
baby spinach – I used fresh baby spinach leaves, but you could use thawed frozen spinach, arugula or even chopped kale.
garlic – you can use fresh chopped garlic or minced garlic from the jar.
cheese – a combination of cream cheese and freshly grated parmesan cheese are used in this dip. You could also use mozzarella cheese, shredded Asiago cheese, fontina or gruyere.
cannellini beans – adds a heartiness and even more creaminess to the dip. If you don’t have cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, pinto beans or white chili beans make great options.
fresh thyme – adds a fresh herby and aromatic flavor that tastes amazing with the rest of the ingredients.

How to Make Sausage Bean Dip

Brown the sausage. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the sausage and break up into pieces. Continue cooking until the sausage is browned, crumbled and is no longer pink. Drain any grease from the pan.
Sauté the veggies. Add in the chopped onion and red bell pepper, cooking until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and fresh thyme, cooking for an additional minute.
Add in everything else. Turn the heat down slightly to medium heat and add in the softened cream cheese, stirring well until the cream cheese is melted and incorporated. Add in the spinach and salt, stirring until spinach is wilted, then add in the cannellini beans. Mix well until everything is all combined.
Sprinkle parmesan. Transfer the sausage mixture to a medium size baking dish (or bake it right in the skillet) and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese. If planning to make-ahead for later, hold off on the parmesan cheese and let the dip cool completely. Cover and store in the fridge until ready to bake.
Bake and serve. Pop the sausage dip in the oven and bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Serve with toasted baguette slices, crackers or Frito corn chips.

Tips for the Best Sausage Bean Dip

Soften the cream cheese – cold cream cheese is hard to blend, so I like to take it out of the fridge about 20 or 30 minutes before cooking to let it soften. Alternatively, you can cut the cream cheese into cubes so it melts faster.
Browning the sausage – I like to let the sausage cook until nicely browned to get that nice caramelization and slightly crispy edges. This gives the dip a richer, meatier flavor.
Mash a few beans – this is completely optional, but if you want an even creamier dip, lightly mash some of the cannellini beans with the back of your spoon or spatula. This naturally thickens the dip and boosts the creamy texture without adding more cheese.
Don’t skip the spinach – not only does fresh spinach add a pop of color, but it also balances out the richness in the sausage cheese dip. Roughly chop it before adding so it wilts evenly and blends into each bite.

Favorite Dippers for Serving

Toasted baguette slices
Frito corn chips (my personal favorite!)
Crackers or pita chips
Red bell pepper strips and celery
Tortilla chips

Variations

Change up the protein – I really love hot Italian sausage in this cheesy dip for the extra flavor, but feel free to swap with sweet Italian sausage, breakfast sausage, chorizo or ground turkey sausage.
Add more veggies – this dip is a great way to sneak in extra veggies such as corn, jalapeños for a little heat, mushrooms, zucchini and kale for more texture.
Different cheeses – layering in other cheeses can really change how melty or bold this dip is. Other options include mozzarella cheese, fontina, white cheddar, pepper jack or gruyere.
For a looser texture – feel free to add in a splash of milk, cream, chicken broth or even white wine for a looser, creamier texture.
Crispy topping – a crunchy topping adds amazing texture so feel free to try sprinkling on panko breadcrumbs, crispy fried onions or even crushed Ritz crackers.

Prepping and Storage

Make Ahead – make the dip as directed except for topping with parmesan cheese. Let it cool then cover and refrigerate it up to a day in advance. When ready to bake, take it out about 15-20 minutes before (or add 8 to 10 minutes of extra baking time) and top with parmesan cheese before baking.
To Store – leftovers will last up up to 3 days stored in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator. You can easily reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm in the oven at 300 degrees F for a few minutes in an oven-safe dish.

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This Cheesy Sausage Bean Dip is the ultimate party appetizer! Made with flavorful spicy sausage, sautéed onions, bell peppers, garlic and spinach, along with cream cheese and hearty white beans!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Cheesy Sausage Bean Dip

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 337kcal

Ingredients

1 lb hot pork sausage
1 sweet onion diced
1 red bell pepper finely diced (if small, use two)
1 Tbsp garlic minced
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese softened
2 cups baby spinach leaves roughly chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Serve with toasted baguette slices, crackers or Frito corn chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the sausage and break up into pieces. Continue cooking until the sausage is browned, crumbled and is no longer pink. Drain any grease from the pan.
Add in the chopped onion and red bell pepper, cooking until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and fresh thyme, cooking for an additional minute.
Turn the heat down slightly to medium heat and add in the softened cream cheese, stirring well until the cream cheese is melted and incorporated. Add in the spinach and salt, stirring until spinach is wilted, then add in the cannellini beans. Mix well until everything is all combined.
Transfer the sausage mixture to an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish (or bake right in the skillet) and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese. If planning to make-ahead for later, hold off on the parmesan cheese and let the dip cool completely. Cover and store in the fridge until ready to bake.
Bake the sausage dip in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Serve with toasted baguette slices, crackers or Frito corn chips.

Nutrition

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