Cheesy Sausage Bean Dip

This Cheesy Sausage and Bean Dip is creamy, hearty, and loaded with hot sausage, cannellini beans, spinach, Parmesan, and cream cheese. The ultimate crowd-pleasing appetizer for game day, holidays, parties, or any gathering!

If you’re looking for the kind of appetizer that disappears within minutes of hitting the table, this Cheesy Sausage and Bean Dip is it! Rich cream cheese, savory hot sausage, tender cannellini beans, fresh spinach, sweet bell peppers, garlic, and Parmesan come together in one irresistibly creamy, cheesy dip that’s hearty enough to satisfy everyone.

Unlike many heavy party dips, this recipe is packed with vegetables and protein, making it a little more wholesome while still tasting incredibly indulgent. This appetizer is made with simple ingredients that I make every Thanksgiving and serve at every holiday party. The pops of red and green make it perfect for your Christmas menu and we love serving this on game day as well!

Why You’ll Love This

• Comfort food – this hearty dip is loaded with bold, savory flavors, rich creamy cheese and feels indulgent without being heavy.
• Wholesome ingredients – this dip is made with a combination of sautéed onions, red bell pepper, garlic, leafy spinach, fresh thyme and white beans for a high-protein, flavor-packed dip.
• Crowd favorite – when I say this is the most popular appetizer I have ever served, that is an understatement. Everyone absolutely raves about this recipe and it is gone in seconds!
• Great holiday appetizer – not only is this a great make-ahead recipe, but the pops of red and green make it perfect for your holiday spread. I recommend doubling the recipe for a crowd as it goes fast!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• hot sausage – hot sausage adds bold, savory flavor with just a little heat. If you prefer a milder dip, regular breakfast sausage, sweet Italian sausage, ground turkey sausage, ground chicken or ground beef all make great options.
• onion – finely diced onion softens as it cooks and adds natural sweetness to balance the richness. I used one large sweet onion, but you could use yellow onion, white onion or even chopped shallots.
• red bell pepper – this adds a pop of color and some sweetness to the dip. You could also use jarred roasted red peppers for even more flavor or even chopped tomatoes.
• baby spinach – fresh spinach wilts into the dip, adding color, nutrients, and extra vegetables without overpowering the other flavors. You could use thawed frozen spinach, arugula or even chopped kale.
• garlic – you can use fresh chopped garlic or minced garlic from the jar.
• cheese – a combination of cream cheese and freshly grated parmesan cheese are used in this dip. You could also use mozzarella cheese, shredded Asiago cheese, fontina or gruyere.
• cannellini beans – creamy white beans add protein, fiber, and a buttery texture while making the dip even more filling. Great Northern beans, pinto beans or white chili beans make great options as well.
• fresh thyme – adds fresh herby flavor and aromatics that taste amazing with the rest of the ingredients.
• salt – enhances all the savory flavors.

How to Make Sausage Bean Dip

1. Brown the sausage. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large oven-safe skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, breaking into crumbles, until browned and cooked through. Drain any grease or liquid from the pan.
2. Sauté the veggies. Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the skillet and cook until softened, about 4–5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and fresh thyme and cook for another minute until fragrant.
3. Make the creamy filling. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the softened cream cheese until completely melted and smooth. Mix in the chopped spinach and salt, stirring until the spinach wilts. Fold in the drained cannellini beans until evenly combined.
4. Sprinkle parmesan. Transfer the sausage mixture to a medium size baking dish (or bake it right in the skillet) and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese. If planning to make-ahead for later, hold off on the parmesan cheese and let the dip cool completely. Cover and store in the fridge until ready to bake.
5. Bake and serve. Pop the sausage dip in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Serve with toasted baguette slices, crackers or Frito corn chips.

Tips for the Best Cheesy Sausage Bean Dip

• Soften the cream cheese – cold cream cheese is hard to blend, so I like to take it out of the fridge about 20 or 30 minutes before cooking to let it soften. Alternatively, you can cut the cream cheese into cubes so it melts faster.
• Browning the sausage – I like to let the sausage cook until nicely browned to get that nice caramelization and slightly crispy edges. This gives the dip a richer, meatier flavor.
• Drain excess grease – if your sausage releases a lot of fat, drain most of it before adding the vegetables to keep the dip from becoming greasy.
• Mash a few beans – this is completely optional, but for extra creaminess, lightly mash some of the cannellini beans with the back of your spoon or spatula. This naturally thickens the dip and boosts the creamy texture without adding more cheese.
• Don’t skip the spinach – not only does fresh spinach add a pop of color, but it also balances out the richness in the sausage cheese dip. Roughly chop it before adding so it wilts evenly and blends into each bite.

Variations and Substitutions

• Change up the protein – I really love hot Italian sausage in this cheesy dip for the extra flavor, but feel free to swap with sweet Italian sausage, breakfast sausage, chorizo or ground turkey sausage.
• Add more veggies – this dip is a great way to sneak in extra veggies such as corn, jalapeños for a little heat, mushrooms, zucchini and kale for more texture.
• Different cheeses – layering in other cheeses can really change how melty or bold this dip is. Other options include mozzarella cheese, fontina, white cheddar, pepper jack or gruyere.
• For a looser texture – feel free to add in a splash of milk, cream, chicken broth or even white wine for a looser, creamier texture.
• Crispy topping – a crunchy topping adds amazing texture so feel free to try sprinkling on panko breadcrumbs, crispy fried onions or even crushed Ritz crackers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Prepping and Storage

• Make Ahead – make the dip as directed except for topping with parmesan cheese. Let it cool then cover and refrigerate it up to a day in advance. When ready to bake, take it out about 15-20 minutes before (or add 8 to 10 minutes of extra baking time) and top with parmesan cheese before baking.
• To Store – leftovers will last up up to 3 days stored in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator. You can easily reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm in the oven at 300 degrees F for a few minutes in an oven-safe dish.
• To Freeze – transfer cooled dip to a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

More Healthy Dip Recipes

• High Protein French Onion Dip
• 7 Layer Spicy Taco Dip
• Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower Dip
• Sun Dried Tomato Dip
• Healthy Spiced Pumpkin Dip

More Holiday Appetizers

• Holiday Cranberry Salsa
• Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs
• Easy Tomato and Basil Bruschetta
• Holiday Cheese Board
• Healthier Deviled Eggs

Hope you all enjoy this Cheesy Sausage Bean Dip recipe! If you love this as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny!