Easy Sausage-Stuffed Dates
These Easy Sausage-Stuffed Dates are the perfect combination of sweet, savory, and salty—a simple yet elegant appetizer that’s impossible to resist! Juicy dates are stuffed with spicy Italian sausage, roasted in a rich marinara sauce, and topped with feta, olives, and fresh herbs for an extra burst of flavor
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups prepared marinara sauce
- 25 whole dates pitted
- ½ pound spicy Italian sausage
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese for garnish
- ½ cup torn Castelvetrano olives for garnish
- Chopped fresh parsley and oregano for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven:
- Place a rack in the upper third of the oven.
- Preheat to 400°F (200°C).
- Prepare the Baking Dish:
- Pour the marinara sauce into a 10-inch skillet or a 9×9-inch baking dish.
- Stuff the Dates:
- Fill each pitted date with 1 tablespoon of raw sausage.
- The date will remain slightly open with the sausage mounded on top.
- Place the stuffed dates sausage side up into the marinara sauce.
- Bake:
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 18-20 minutes, or until the sausage is fully cooked (internal temperature reaches 160°F).
- Garnish & Serve:
- Let the dish cool slightly.
- Sprinkle with feta, olives, and fresh herbs just before serving.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Make-Ahead Option: Stuff the dates in advance and store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking.
- Serving Suggestion: Serve alongside toasted baguette slices or crackers for extra texture.