Skillet Sausage Pesto Pizza Dip

Hearty weeknight meal for the whole family. Skillet sausage pesto pizza dip with pork sausage, bell peppers, onion, kalamata olives and mushrooms. Cream cheese added to make it saucy. It’s like a combo pesto pizza as a dip!

This recipe was created in partnership with Jimmy Dean brand for the Family Table program. As always, the recipe and opinions are mine alone. #JDFamilyTable

Within this recipe post you’ll make a simple pizza dip that’s a real treat for the family as a weeknight dinner. Plus you’ll learn about skillets and taking proper care of them.

A puff of white powder billows up as flour cascades into a large bowl. My mom looks over at me and smiles, seeing my face light up. “Are you ready to get your hands dirty?” she asks. I excitedly dive in to make the crust for my first homemade pizza. I was about 5 at the time and things like swimming, dinosaurs and of course food (especially cookies) were big deals for me. Childhood moments like these are the cherished beginnings of my love for food, and what’s ultimately led me to follow my passion; to learn food photography and run a recipe blog. Cooking was an important part of my family; growing closer over laughs and stories as we ate together at the table, enjoying family favorite comfort foods.

I grew up in a family of five siblings and my mom would always cook hearty homemade meals. I’d help whenever I could and have loved food ever since. I’ve been sharing more comfort food lately as that is what’s closest to home for me. You may have noticed the subtle change in my blog’s logo tagline, which sums it up perfectly.

This Sausage Pesto Pizza Dip is a modern spin on classic pizza, and perfect as a weeknight dinner or fun party appetizer. A simple culmination of rich and flavorful ingredients that cooks into a creamy dip. It’s a pesto pizza, but without the crust! The main flavor for this recipe is Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage. It’s the perfect addition to any family meal, not just breakfast. Adding Jimmy Dean Sausage is a great way to spice up any weeknight meal into a bold dish. Be creative and add it to all sorts of your favorite family recipes.

Start by cooking the Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage and onion in a skillet, then add in mushrooms and bell peppers. Drain and stir in remaining ingredients including pesto sauce, cream cheese, kalamata olives and mozzarella cheese. That’s a whole lot of flavor in one skillet. Bake it all together into a hearty melted dip. It’s just like eating a combo pizza with pesto sauce, and you can dip whatever you want in it.

Cooking Tips: Cooking with a skillet and how to take care of a skillet

1. Skillets are a wonderful cooking utensil and with proper care it will last you forever; a skillet can often be kept within the family and handed down for generations.
2. There are many different viewpoints on cleaning and maintenance; but here’s what I find works best: After cooking and allowing to cool, rinse under warm to hot water and scrub with a rough sponge; just water and no dish soap. If pieces are stuck, add water and bring to a boil to loosen. Once clean, place over a lightly warmed burner or in oven at a low temp until dry. Do not let air dry as it can rust. Then lightly grease (I use a bit of pork fat) and store.

Recipe at-a-glance:

Difficulty: Medium
Flavor profiles: Meaty and savory cheese with strong basil/pesto flavor
Texture: Thick and creamy with tender pork sausage and crisp veggie peices

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5 from 8 votes

Skillet Sausage Pesto Pizza Dip

It's a sausage pesto pizza dip that's gluten free!

Course Pizza

Cuisine American

Keyword easy pesto dip, sausage dip skillet, sausage pesto dip

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Calories 363kcal

Servings 12

Author: Matt Ivan

Did you know? Servings and ingredient amounts can be adjusted on all my recipes. Click the green number above to change.

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• ▢ 1 pound ground Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1 green bell pepper, diced
• ▢ 8- ounces sliced mushrooms
• ▢ 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
• ▢ 8 ounces jarred pesto sauce
• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ▢ 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• ▢ Toasted French toast slices or bread crackers, for dipping (gluten free if needed)
• ▢ Fresh Italian parsley as garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400º F. Heat oil to medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add onion and cook 4–6 minutes, stirring often until softened. Stir in Jimmy Dean Sausage, salt and pepper. Cook 7–10 minutes more, breaking up meat as it cooks, until browned. Add bell pepper and mushrooms to pan, cook 5 minutes until softened.
• Remove from heat and stir in olives, pesto sauce, cream cheese and 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle top with with remaining mozzarella.
• Bake 10-15 minutes until heated through and cheese is golden brown. Top with parsley and serve warm with toasted bread or bread crackers for dipping.

Notes

Omit bread for keto dip. Instead use vegetables such as celery, bell pepper or broccoli florets.

Nutrition Facts

Skillet Sausage Pesto Pizza Dip

Amount Per Serving

Calories 363 Calories from Fat 279

% Daily Value*

Fat 31g48%

Saturated Fat 12g75%

Cholesterol 71mg24%

Sodium 972mg42%

Potassium 201mg6%

Carbohydrates 5g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 14g28%

Vitamin A 900IU18%

Vitamin C 9.2mg11%

Calcium 201mg20%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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