Italian Sausage Stromboli

I LOVE Italian Sausage.  I LOVE any type of Stromboli, and we never get tired of this recipe.

Start with pizza dough, then cooked Italian sausage, lots of mozzarella cheese and a drizzle of pizza sauce.  You can add sauteed peppers, olives, ham, pepperoni or any other topping that suits your fancy.

Just like pizza, the possibilities are endless.  Then roll and bake.  You can serve this with a salad for a 30 minute meal or alongside veggies and dip as an appetizer. 

Ingredients you’ll need:

1 medium sweet onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic minced

1lb spicy Italian sausage

1/2 cup pizza sauce, plus more for dipping

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 - 13.4 oz. refrigerated pizza crust (such as Pillsbury Classic) or 1lb homemade pizza dough

Topping:

1 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp dry Italian seasoning

1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a medium stove top saucepan, saute the onion in a couple of drizzles of olive oil for 3 minutes until soft.  Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute.  Add the Italian sausage and cook until no pink remains.  Drain any excess fat from the pan and remove from the heat to cool.  This can be done ahead of time for a time saver.   Drain well and refrigerate if making in advance.

To assemble:

Preheat the oven to 425°F.  On parchment paper, stretch the dough into roughly a 10 x 13 inch rectangle.  Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella cheese.  Arrange the cooked sausage on top, then drizzle with the pizza sauce.  Top with the remaining shredded cheese, and begin to roll starting from the widest edge.  Arrange seem side down on the prepared baking sheet.

For the topping:

Brush the top and sides with melted butter, then sprinkle the seasonings on top.  Finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.  [Tip: All of the seasonings can be adjusted to suit your taste.]

Bake for 18 minutes then allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting into 1 inch slices.  Serve with additional pizza sauce for dipping, if desired.  Yield: 12 pieces

Italian Sausage Stromboli

Author: Melissa Sperka

Serves: 12