How to Make Delicious Homemade Italian Sausage for Pizza

As a pizza lover, I’m always looking for ways to take my homemade pies to the next level. And let me tell you, homemade Italian sausage is a total game-changer! The flavor is so much better than store-bought, and you get to control exactly what goes into it.

In this detailed guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to make your own incredible Italian sausage at home. Whether you’re a total novice or a seasoned sausage maker, you’ll learn helpful tips and tricks along the way.

So get ready to wow your family and friends with your homemade sausage pizzas. Let’s get started!

Why Make Your Own Italian Sausage?

Here are some of the biggest benefits of crafting your own Italian sausage instead of buying pre-made

• Better flavor – You can customize the seasoning blend to your taste and make it exactly as spicy or herby as you want. Homemade has so much more flavor complexity.

• Control ingredients – No weird preservatives or fillers when you DIY. Just high quality meat and spices.

• Cost savings – Making your own can be significantly cheaper per pound.

• Versatility – Use your homemade sausage for so much more than pizza, like pasta, sandwiches, soups, etc.

• Cooking pride – There’s just something satisfying about preparing and eating food you crafted with your own two hands.

Sausage Making 101

Before we get into the Italian sausage recipe, let’s cover some sausage making basics:

Meat Choice

• Authentic Italian sausage uses pork. A 70/30 lean to fat ratio is ideal.

• Ground turkey, chicken or beef can also work if you prefer those.

• For vegetarian, try meat subs like soy crumbles. The seasonings are what make it Italian sausage!

To Grind or Not to Grind

You have two options when it comes to the meat:

1. Buy pre-ground meat – Quick and convenient if you don’t want to deal with grinding at home. Works perfectly fine!

2. Grind your own meat – Lets you choose exactly what cuts to use and control fat ratio. More work but worth it for sausage aficionados. You’ll need a meat grinder attachment for a stand mixer or a dedicated meat grinder machine. Food processors usually can’t handle meat grinding.

Seasoning Blend

This is what sets Italian sausage apart from other sausages and really gives it that signature flavor. The blend often contains:

• Dried herbs like oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary
• Spices like garlic powder, paprika, fennel seed
• Red pepper flakes (add more or less to control heat)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Wine or vinegar

Play around with your own custom blends – that’s half the fun of DIY sausage!

How to Make Italian Sausage for Pizza

Alright, let’s get into the nitty gritty of how to actually make this sausage…

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground pork (or other meat)
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp Italian herb blend (I’ll share my recipe below)
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (add more if you like heat)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

1. Grind the meat (if starting from whole cuts vs pre-ground)

2. Mix seasoning blend: Combine garlic, Italian herb blend, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

3. Add seasoning to meat: Place ground meat in large bowl. Pour seasoning blend over top and mix thoroughly with your hands until fully incorporated.

4. Cook sausage: Form sausage mixture into small patties. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook patties for 4-5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through.

5. Drain and cool: Transfer cooked sausage to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess grease. Allow to cool then refrigerate until ready to use.

And that’s it – you just made your own homemade Italian sausage! Now comes the best part…

Using Your Homemade Italian Sausage

Once you’ve crafted your very own Italian sausage, there are so many delicious ways you can put it to use:

• Pizzas – This is obviously what we’re aiming for! Add crumbled sausage as a topping or make little “meatballs”.

• Pasta sauce – Saute crumbled sausage to add big flavor to red sauces.

• Lasagna – Mix sausage into the ricotta cheese layer for a meaty boost.

• Stuffed peppers – Combine sausage with rice, veggies, cheese and stuff into peppers.

• Sausage sandwiches – Grill up patties for an easy homemade take on fast food.

• Scrambled eggs – Crumble and cook sausage to mix into fluffy scrambled eggs.

• Sausage gravy – Make a hearty Southern-style biscuits and gravy breakfast.

• Soups and chilis – Sausage adds great texture and flavor to bean or veggie soups.

The possibilities are endless! Anywhere you’d normally use Italian sausage, sub in your homemade version.

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

Here are some tips for saving time and keeping your homemade sausage fresh longer:

• Fully cook a big batch of sausage then freeze in portions to pull out as needed. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.

• Mix up a double or triple batch of the seasoning blend. Store in an airtight jar and use as needed.

• Combine raw meat and seasoning in advance but don’t cook it. Store covered in the fridge for 1-2 days max before cooking and using. The flavors will penetrate even more.

• Wrap fully cooked sausage well and use within 3-5 days or freeze for 2-3 months.

• For longer freezer storage, lay flat in freezer bags rather than a clumped mass so you can easily break off pieces as needed.

Make Your Own Custom Italian Herb Blend

The key to amazing Italian sausage is getting the herb and spice blend just right. Here’s my go-to homemade Italian seasoning recipe to use as a starting point:

Italian Herb Blend

• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp crushed fennel seed
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Simply mix together all spices and store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Feel free to tweak this blend to your personal tastes! Add more heat, use fresh instead of dried herbs, or play around with additions like sage, marjoram, peppercorns and more.

The options for homemade Italian sausage are limitless. Start with my basic recipe as your foundation then customize to make it your own. I can’t wait for you to see how much better your pizzas (and other dishes!) get with your own DIY Italian sausage.

Now get cookin’! Mangia!