Super Bowl “Cheesy” Sausage Dip

I. LOVE. FOOTBALL. It’s like a southern girl’s rite of passage. BUT I’ll be honest, I’m more a college football kinda girl ( I only care about the NFL when the Atlanta Falcons are winning,– there’s always next year!).

Another southern girl’s rite of passage is a signature dip and casserole recipe. Even my friends who can’t cook (I’m not naming names, but you know who you are) have a signature dip and casserole recipe.

Dairy-Free "Cheese" Sausage Dip-perfect for a party, super bowl, appetizer, pot luck! Enjoy this nourishing and satisfying spin on your fav cheese dip.

If you go to a party in the south, the appetizer table often looks like dip, dip, dip, more dip (57 kinds of potato chips), and one measly store bought veggie and/or fruit tray. Most dips featured contain the miraculous creation that someone dubbed “cheese”, better known as a block of Velveeta. Dump the jelly like “cheese” with a can of Rotel in your crock pot and voila you have a masterpiece.

I’m not a fan of demonizing foods and I feel (minus food sensitivities/allergies) there is room for a variety of foods in our diet (even Velveeta + Rotel heated to creamy perfection). BUT common’ guys, Velveeta? It’s just not real cheese. (insert my husband’s eye roll here). It is a gelled block of something made out of ‘who knows what’ thanks to food science and mass production.

Here is my personal issue with the classic combo and why I made my own sausage cheese dip…

Simply put, it hurts my tummy. My body craves REAL food, but this stuff? Well… I’m not sure it makes the cut.

So I set out to make my own version of this cheesy goodness. (In all disclosure this recipe doesn’t contain cheese, but in my defense it does contain sausage.) To put the recipe to the test, I let my husband try it when he came home. I then let him proceed to inhale it without stopping for 10 mins before I told him the ingredients.

This is a creative one guys, but so worth it! The flavor is superb, and it has a great mixture of healthy fats and protein. Pair the dip with my favorite Blue Corn Flaxseed Chips from Target and you almost have a balanced meal (healthy carbs + fats + protein). I also can indulge in this dip and walk away not needing an antacid.

The sweet potatoes somehow replace the slightly sweet and creamy Velveeta. The cauliflower gives a “bulk” to the dip, and adds nutritional value without all the extra calories that can hide in more traditional game day snack foods. The tahini and nutritional yeast add umami and “cheesiness.” You can use Rotel in this recipe if you don’t want to part with it, but I just use one of my favorite salsas. The sausage gives a nice added chewy texture and saltiness. To sum it up: this sausage cheese dip makes a great addition to any game day party and is sure to be a hit.

So cheers to the victorious and the defeated. May the best team win!

Contribute

Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #melharrisnutrition. I plan on making it a game day staple at our house (kid + husband approved). Be sure to check out the notes in my recipe for Time Saver Tips.

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Super Bowl “Cheesy” Sausage Dip

Author: Melanie Harris
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
Yield: 10 1x
Category: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

1 Sweet Potato (medium)
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
3/4 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 Vidalia (Sweet) Onion (medium)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 cup Low Sodium Chicken or Vegetable Stock
1/2 cup canned full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp tahini
1 jar of your favorite salsa (15–16 oz)
1 lb ground chicken or turkey sausage

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper
Peel and chop sweet potato into one inch cubes (cubes should equal roughly 2 cups) and place on one baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and toss to coat.
Remove cauliflower base and leaves and chop into 2 inch florets. Place on remaining baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and toss to coat.
Place both pans of veggies in the oven and roast for 35 mins or until potatoes are fork tender. Check veggies halfway though roasting and stir to make sure they roast evenly on both sides.
Chop onion into ¼ inch pieces and mince garlic while veggies roast.
Heat a saute pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil to medium heat.
Add onions and saute until translucent (4-5 mins). Then add minced garlic until fragrant (1-2 mins), being sure to stir so it doesn’t burn. Remove from pan and place mixture to the side.
Add ground sausage to the same pan. Saute and cook through till no longer pink. Depending on the fat content of the meat you may want to strain meat after cooking.
In a high speed blender or food processor combine stock, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, tahini and onion mixture. Puree until smooth.
Next add the sweet potato and cauliflower to blender and puree until smooth.
Add your “cheesy mixture” to a sauce pot and cook stirring continuously, until mixture has thickened and darkened slightly in color (around 10 minutes).
Cut cheesy mixture to low and stir in salsa, sausage and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately, reheat on stove or keep warm in crockpot. Dip can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Notes

Time Savers

Buy cauliflower “steam-in-bag” to save time

Cook sweet potato in microwave (although letting it bake adds a depth of caramelization that I prefer)

Kid Friendly

Choose a mild salsa.

Substitutions

Making vegan or vegetarian? Omit the chicken sausage. Add fresh diced tomato or green peppers for more texture.