Sausage peperonata cheese dip

My Sausage Peperonata Cheese Dip is perfect for Super Bowl Sunday as an appetizer.  One of my favourite dishes growing up was fried peppers with sausage.  I love this dish and serve it with fresh bread for an appetizer, but Super Bowl is coming up and I want to make some quick and easy foods that we can eat.  I am taking a spin on this Italian favourite and making a Sausage Peperonata Cheese Dip. Appetizers are part of the meal, but for a day like Super Bowl Sunday a bunch of appetizers make the meal.  The best Super Bowl parties I attended were at my daughter Erika’s house and her husband Brian makes an interesting Nacho dish.  They always had a table full of choices for every palate and we spent many Super Bowls in Nunavut surrounded by friends, food and laughter.

The madness behind the dip

It’s all about dipping these days and there are dips and melted cheese everywhere.  That’s where I got this idea.  Instead of crackers or corn chips, I am using crostini: I have a nice baquette that I will slice and toast or you can buy them ready-made at any grocery store.  The peperonata will have Italian sausage that I take out of the casings and freshly diced local peppers from our abundant Leamington Greenhouses.  I decided on provolone cheese for its sharpness, mozzarella for its creaminess and ricotta to smooth it out.  In my testing stages, I used half and half, but then had a can of 2 % carnation milk and this worked best.

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Sausage Peperonata Cheese Appetizer

Just in time for Super Bowl!!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 8

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

The Dip

• 3 Italian sausages
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion minced finely
• 3 peppers, one each of yellow, red and oranges
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp fennel
• 1 tsp red pepper chilli flakes optional and may add more
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup grated provolone cheese
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 can 2% evaporated milk
• 1 cup 4 cheese Italian blend Sargento makes a good one.
• 3 scallions

The Crostini

• 1 large baquette
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano

Instructions

The dip

1. Take the sausage out of the casings and chop.

   Put the olive oil in the pan and brown the sausage. Salt and pepper to taste.

   You may add 1 tsp of red chilli pepper flakes here. 

   Add the onion.

   Follow with the peppers.

   Next, pour in the diced tomatoes.  

   Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.

   Make a spot in the middle and put in the cream cheese.

   Add the evaporated milk, stir, cover and simmer for another 3 minutes. 

   Put in the shredded cheese and stir.  

   Pour into a deep baking dish. Top with more shredded cheese. 

   Bake at 375 F for 25 minutes. 

   Broil on low for 5 minutes.

   
   

The Crostini

1. Slice the baguette.

   Combine olive oil and spices.

   Brush both sides of bread.

   Spread on a prepared cookie sheet with parchment paper.

   Bake at 375 F for 15 minutes, turning at half way point.

   
   

Recipe Notes

If you like a spicy dip, you can add jalapeños or hot sauce to this recipe.  

You can also make this ahead and freeze it. I put it in smaller dishes and take it out for a snack sometimes.