Crostone with Sausage and Cheese
An easy 15-minute Italian dinner made with just two ingredients — fresh salsiccia and creamy stracchino — spread thick on rustic bread and baked until golden.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 200 g fresh Italian sausage casings removed, about 7 ounces
- 230 g stracchino or crescenza cheese or cream cheese, about 8 ounces
- country bread , such as Pugliese or ciabatta rolls split lengthwise for crostone; or a sliced baguette for crostini.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Remove the casings from the sausage. Make a slit cut with a sharp knife and peel the casing off.
- In a bowl mash sausage meat together with cream cheese until combined.
- Spread the mixture in a thick, even layer over the bread, right to the edges. Don't smoother the surface, keep it uneven.
- Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until the topping is cooked through and golden and the bread is crisp. Finish under the broiler for a minute for extra color if you like.
- Cut into pieces if desired, and enjoy while it's still hot!
Video
Notes
- Cheese: stracchino (crescenza) is traditional and best, but cream cheese or robiola work well too.
- Bread matters: use a sturdy loaf or split ciabatta rolls that can hold the thick topping without going soggy.
- Cook it through: the sausage goes on raw, so make sure the topping is fully cooked (no pink) before serving.
- Make ahead: mix the filling up to a day in advance and keep refrigerated; spread and bake when ready.
- For crostini (appetizer): spread a thick layer on ½-inch baguette slices and bake 10–12 minutes. One batch of filling makes about 12–15.
- Scale up or down: the only rule is the sausage and cheese ratio, which is roughly 1:1 but I like to add a little extra cheese for creaminess.