Cheesy Italian Sausage Crostini
Our Italian sausage crostini combines the flavors of Italian sausage, bell peppers, sweet onions, and melty mozzarella with crusty bread. It’s an easy rustic appetizer everyone will love!
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We’ve been making this Italian sausage crostini recipe for years, and it’s one of my favorite fancy-ish appetizers. It’s cheesy, savory, and has the best crunchy baguette.
John and I have always been fans of bite-sized snacks, and this one doesn’t disappoint. It’s in the same family as our tomato basil bruschetta.
This sausage and peppers version uses toasted bread for the base, a savory, hearty filling made with sausage, peppers, and onion, and a melty mozzarella cheese sprinkled over the top.
Add it to your next holiday snack platter or game day appetizer tray…because once your guests get a taste, it’ll be the first thing to disappear every single time!
How to Make Italian Sausage Crostini
Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Slice a fourth of the baguette into 1/2-inch thick pieces. That should give you about 12 slices total. If it doesn’t, use a little more bread.
Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast them for 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and crunchy. While the bread toasts, make the topping.
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil and the sausage. I prefer to leave the sausage in its casing while it cooks, then remove it once it’s done. Cook the sausage for 5 to 7 minutes per side until browned and cooked through.
Remove the sausage from the pan and add the sliced peppers and onions. Cook the peppers and onions for another 7 to 8 minutes until they begin to caramelize and brown around the edges. Remove from heat.
Remove the casing from the sausage, then slice it into ¼-inch thick rounds. Place 2 to 3 rounds on each slice of bread. Then, scoop 1 to 2 tablespoons of peppers and onions over the sausage.
Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella, and pop the pan back in the oven just long enough to let the cheese melt. Add baked goat cheese with toasted baguette slices for another warm appetizer guests can share.
How to Store Leftover Sausage Crostini
If you happen to have leftovers, try to store the bread and the toppings separately. The toppings will stay good for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
Try to only cut as much bread as you think you’ll use. Once a baguette is cut, it dries out fast.
It’s best to reheat the bread and toppings separately so the bread doesn’t get hard and the toppings heat all the way through.
Easy Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions
Italian sausage: You can use mild, medium, or hot. If you don’t want to use Italian sausage, any type of link sausage will work. Chicken, turkey, and even kielbasa are great options.
Bell peppers: We like a combination of red and green peppers. Use whatever kind you have on hand (orange, yellow, red, etc.).
Mozzarella: My preference is to shred mozzarella off the block. Pre-shredded cheese also works, but make sure you get one that melts well. I like Kraft Creamy Melt best.
Ingredients
- ¼ to ½ baguette, cut into ½-inch thick slices
- ½ tablespoon cooking oil, canola, vegetable, avocado
- 2 Italian sausage, links; any variety
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced into ¼-inch thick slices
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into ¼-inch thick slices
- 1 white onion, sliced into ¼-inch thick slices
- ¾ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded off the block
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the baguette into 12 pieces, about ½ inch thick, and arrange them on a baking sheet.¼ to ½ baguette
- Toast the bread for 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp. Leave the oven on.
- While the bread toasts, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through.½ tablespoon cooking oil2 Italian sausage
- Remove the sausage from the pan. Add the peppers and onions and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, or until they soften and begin to brown around the edges.1 green bell pepper1 red bell pepper1 white onion
- Remove the casing from the sausage, then slice it into ¼-inch thick rounds.
- Place 2 to 3 sausage slices on each piece of toasted bread. Top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of peppers and onions, then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.¾ cup mozzarella cheese
- Return the crostini to the oven just until the cheese melts. Serve warm.
Notes
- Toast those bread slices! One of my personal culinary pet peeves is soggy bread. That’s also true with this crostini. Make sure to toast it until it’s golden brown before adding the sausage and peppers.
- Don’t use too much oil. The sausage will provide some fat that can be used to cook the peppers and onions. When you add the oil for the sausage, go light. Otherwise, your filling will be greasy. Turkey sausage and low-moisture mozzarella will also help reduce greasiness.
- Use a sturdy bread. Choose a baguette or loaf that’s sturdy and can hold up to the weight of the topping. Something like a French baguette, artisan bread, or sourdough. I’d skip sandwich bread or plain white bread.
- Storage: Store the topping and any bread slices separately in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. The bread will dry out the longer that it’s stored.
This is a dream meal for me! I love sausage and peppers, and together even more so. My son loves them too. I will come back to your post!
I love a good, classic meal. Sausage with peppers is a great comfort food.
These look delish! A perfect snack for guests, and they would go great with either wine or beer.