9 Delicious Ways to Use Frozen Sausage

Sausage is easy to defrost on the stove, and it only takes 15 minutes to get the casings nice and browned and the insides fully cooked.

Did you know that sausages can be cooked and defrosted at the same time on the stove? Don’t worry if you forgot to take them out of the freezer ahead of time. I’ve got the info you need right here.

Finding packages of uncooked sausage tucked away in your freezer can feel like discovering buried treasure But what exactly can you do with frozen sausage besides thaw and cook it plain? More than you might think!

With a little creativity frozen sausage can be transformed into quick weeknight dinners party appetizers, comforting casseroles and more. Read on for 9 great ideas to make the most of the frozen sausage in your freezer.

Thaw and Brown

The simplest way to use frozen sausage is to thaw it and cook it as-is Here are some tips

Thaw sausage in the refrigerator overnight, or for a quick thaw, place vacuum-packed sausage in a large bowl of cool water for 30 minutes.
Cook sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 12 minutes total.
Season generously with salt, pepper and spices like sage, thyme or Italian seasoning.
Serve with eggs, hash browns and toast for a hearty breakfast.

Simmer in Sauce

Instead of pan-frying, simmer frozen sausage in tomato or marinara sauce for a quick pasta topper. The sauce helps evenly thaw and cook the sausage. Try it in:

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce – Break sausage into pieces and simmer 15-20 minutes in marinara sauce.
Sausage Ragu – Cook sausage chunks in tomato sauce with red wine, veggies and seasonings for a rich ragu.
Creamy Tomato Soup – Add sliced sausage and simmer until cooked through, about 12 minutes.

Sheet Pan Dinners

A sheet pan is a great way to cook frozen sausage alongside veggies. Some easy meals:

Sausage and Potatoes – Roast frozen sausage with potatoes, onion and bell pepper.
Sausage and Brussels Sprouts – Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and roast at 400°F.
Sausage and Sweet Potatoes- Add chickpeas too for extra protein.

Breakfast Sizzlers

Take breakfast to the next level by adding frozen sausage to any combination of eggs, potatoes, veggies and cheese.

Breakfast Burritos – Scramble eggs with sausage, peppers, onions, cheese and salsa.
Breakfast Enchiladas – Fill tortillas with scrambled eggs, sausage, cheese and green chiles. Top with enchilada sauce.
Breakfast Casserole – Combine frozen sausage with hashbrowns or tater tots, eggs, cheese, and bake.

Saucy Sandwiches

Plump up sandwiches by topping with juicy sausage patties or sliced grilled sausage.

BBQ Pulled Pork – Pile pulled pork and sliced sausage on buns for a protein-packed sandwich.
Italian Subs – Layer sausage patties with salami, ham, provolone, lettuce, tomato and Italian dressing.
Sausage Melt – Grill sausage patties and serve on toasted English muffins with melted cheddar or provolone.

Hearty Soups and Stews

Frozen sausage makes a flavorful protein-packed addition to hearty soups and stews like:

Sausage Potato Soup – Cook sliced sausage in broth with potatoes, onion, carrots, celery, milk and cream.
White Bean and Sausage Stew – Sauté sausage with veggies then simmer in broth with cannellini beans.
Jambalaya – Combine spicy andouille sausage with chicken, shrimp, rice, tomatoes, onion, peppers and Cajun seasoning.

Crowd-Pleasing Appetizers

For easy party foods, wrap bites of sausage in dough or pastry for dippable apps.

Pigs in a Blanket – Wrap cocktail sausages in crescent roll dough and bake until golden brown.
Sausage Rolls – Roll out puff pastry, add sausage meat in a row down the center, and roll up.
Sausage Bites – Wrap bite-sized pieces of sausage in flaky pastry squares and bake until crispy.

Flavorful Casseroles

Combining sausage with noodles, rice or veggies makes for comforting one-dish casseroles:

King Ranch Casserole – Brown sausage with peppers and onions, combine with tortilla chips, cheese, and cream of mushroom soup. Bake.
Sausage and Rice Casserole – Cook sausage crumbles with rice, broccoli, bell peppers, onion, garlic, stock and tomato paste. Top with cheese.
Baked Ziti with Sausage – Incorporate cooked crumbled sausage into ziti tossed with ricotta, mozzarella and marinara sauce.

As you can see, a package of frozen sausage offers endless quick, budget-friendly options for making everyday meals more flavorful and satisfying. With a few simple preparation methods, you can transform humble frozen sausage into all kinds of appetizing dishes.

what can i do with frozen sausage
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Podcast Episode About Making Sausages from Frozen

Press the play button below to hear me briefly talk about how to make sausages from frozen and some other great tips:

what can i do with frozen sausage

Tips for Cooking Sausages From Frozen

It’s easy to thaw sausages on the stove, and they’re ready to cook in less than 15 minutes. That sounds easy enough, right?.

Remove Packaging: You have to remove all plastic, styrofoam and also the absorbent matt, if present. If any of that is stuck, run cool water over the package until you can break-free it.

Use A Large Enough Pan: We’re dealing with a “brick” of sausages, and you need them to all cook evenly. Make sure they fit. A 12-inch stainless steel or non-stick pan works well.

Use Liquid: Add the frozen sausages along with stock or water to the pan. This will help transfer the heat more quickly and will get your sausages more evenly thawed too.

Cook Covered, At First: Cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for five minutes. This gets everything steaming and thawing.

Remove The Lid: When you remove the lid, the sausages will be fully thawed and partially cooked. They will look kind of gray, but not for long. Let any extra water evaporate. When the pan looks almost dry, there are a few different ways to keep cooking the sausages, which I’ll talk about next.

There are a few different ways that you can get the sausages brown after the initial steaming step.

As directed in the recipe, add some oil to the pan and brown the sausages in the pan for eight to ten minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of one of the sausages reads 165°F.
You can also put the sausages in the oven to finish cooking, with or without other things, like these Sheet Pan Sausage and Pepper Hoagies.
The sausages can also be sliced, browned in a pan with oil, and then added to other recipes to finish cooking, such as tomato sauce.
It will take about 10 minutes of cooking at 400F until the sausages are browned and fully cooked. Also, keep in mind that you can cook frozen sausages in the air fryer, even if they were frozen on a tray together.

As was already said, you can also cook frozen sausages in the air fryer without the first step of steaming them. It’s really easy and only takes one step to get them well-browned and crisp on the outside.

The sausages can be kept in the fridge for up to five days. You can eat them by themselves or mix them with other foods for dinners all week. Try them in these recipes:

Frozen breakfast sausages in under 10mins . No oil needed!

FAQ

How do you use frozen sausages?

These will have to be thawed out to separate them, but not because you cannot cook from frozen, just make sure the core temperature reaches 70°C for at least 2 minutes. Typically frozen sausages will take about 10-15 minutes to cook through in a frying pan, BBQ or grill but different thicknesses will vary the time.

Can you cook frozen sausages straight from the freezer?

Most types of sausage can be cooked in a pan, oven or on the grill from frozen. The cooking time will depend on which method is used, but it will usually take a minimum of 15 minutes. It is important to ensure the core temperature of the sausages has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for two minutes.

Should frozen sausage be thawed before cooking?

Although you can cook frozen sausages with an increased cooking time of roughly fifty percent, thawed sausages are easier to cook. USDA food safety guidelines recommend cooking sausage until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Can you cook sausage out of the freezer?

Most sausages can be cooked from frozen. Check the packaging of your sausages. to see whether they must be thawed before cooking. Although most brands. are okay to go straight from the freezer to the pan, frozen sausages will take about 10 to 15.