Costco is selling five pound packages of Italian sausage in the meat department. These sausages are easy to cook on the grill and are highly versatile in recipes.
This post is going to cover everything you need to know about these sausages including general cooking instructions, how to grill, calories and price.
Oh yeah, we are also going to show you how to make the World’s Best Grilled Italian Sausage Sandwich.
About the Italian Sausage at Costco
The Italian Sausage is made by Tarantino from San Diego, CA. These are MILD Italian sausages that will appeal to most palates.
The sausages come in four individual packs with each pack holding five sausages. This gives you a total of 20 sausages per package.
The general cooking instructions on the packaging are:
- Place the sausages in a pan with 1/4 inch water.
- Bring the pan to a simmer.
- Cover the pan and simmer the sausages for 15 minutes.
- Uncover the pan and cook until browned.
- The sausages are done when they reach an internal temperature of 170F.
These instructions are fine but we think grilling them is so much better!
How to Grill
Start by firing up your grill to High heat and preheating the grates for 15 minutes. I was cooking on a Weber Traveler but the choice of grill isn’t critical.
Reduce the heat to Medium and place the Italian sausages on the grill.
- Close the lid and grill for two minutes.
- Open the lid, flip the sausages and repeat.
- Keep turning the sausages every two minutes and rearranging them on the grill to compensate for any hot spots on the grate.
After the sausages have grilled for 10-12 minutes they will be close to done.
At this point take a sweet bell pepper, slice off the top and bottom then remove the seeds. Slice the pepper in half and place on the grill with the sausages.
Keep grilling the sausages for 2-4 more minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 170F.
When the sausages are done grilling remove them from the grill and turn the heat back up to High.
Sear the peppers for a few more minutes and add some buns to the grate, face side down, to get them nice and toasty.
When the peppers are seared and tender take them off and slice them lengthwise into matchsticks.
Now it is time to assemble the World’s Greatest Grilled Italian Sausage Sandwich!
- Place a layer of shredded cheese on the bottom bun.
- Slice a grilled Italian sausage into medallions and place on top of the cheese.
- Top the grilled sausage with a handful of the seared pepper matchsticks.
- Add a dollop of Rao’s marina sauce to the top bun and then stick everything together!
How could that sandwich be anything other than amazing? It’s like lasagna on a bun!
Grilled Costco Italian Sausage Sandwich
Equipment
- Weber gas grill
Ingredients
- 5 Italian Sausage Links
- 1 large Sweet Bell Pepper
- 1/2 cup Rao's Marinara Sauce
- 1/2 cup Shredded Cheese
- 5 Hamburger Buns
Instructions
- Preheat your grill for 15 minutes on High.
- Cut the top off of the bell pepper, deseed and cut in half.
- Lower the heat to Medium and place the the sausages on the grill.
- Grill for 10 minutes flipping every two minutes.
- Place the peppers on the grill.
- Grill the sausages for 3-4 more minutes until an internal temperature of 170F is reached.
- Remove sausages from the grill and turn heat up to High.
- Continue to sear the peppers until nicely charred and toast the burger buns.
- Slice the sausages on a bias into rounds and slice the peppers into matchsticks.
- Assemble the sandwich with a base of shredded cheese followed by the sausage and peppers then top with the marinara sauce.
More Serving Ideas
If grilling the sausages isn’t your thing then here are a few other ideas to put this sausage to use.
Sausage and Potato Skillet: Brown sliced sausage links in a skillet, then add diced potatoes and cook until tender. Season with herbs and spices of your choice for a satisfying one-pot meal.
Sausage and Mushroom Pizza: Remove the casings the sausage links and crumble the meat. Cook it with mushrooms and garlic until cooked through, then use it as a topping for homemade pizza along with cheese and your favorite veggies.
Sausage and Bean Stew: Cook the links with diced tomatoes, beans, and vegetables such as carrots and celery in a slow cooker or on the stove for a hearty stew.
Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells: Remove the casings from the links and cook the meat with garlic and spinach. Stuff cooked jumbo pasta shells with the sausage mixture, top with marinara sauce and cheese, then bake until bubbly and golden.
Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms: Remove the casings and mix the meat with cream cheese, garlic, and herbs. Stuff mushroom caps with the sausage mixture, then bake until tender and melted for a tasty appetizer.
Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole: Brown crumbled Italian sausage in a skillet, then mix with eggs, cheese, and vegetables such as bell peppers and onions. Bake in a casserole dish for a hearty breakfast option.
Calories
One Italian Sausage is a single serving and has the following calories, fat, etc.
- Calories = 240
- Fat = 19g
- Cholesterol = 70mg
- Sodium = 325mg
- Carbohydrates = 1g
- Protein = 16g
This is an all pork sausage with a natural pork casing that is labeled as Gluten Free with No Preservatives.
Price
The Italian Sausage is Item Number 888721 and is found in the refrigerated meat coolers.
The current price of this five pound pack of sausages is $14.99 or about $3 per pound.
Since you get 20 sausages per package this comes out to a cost of $0.75 per sausage which is more expensive than the Costco bratwurst but still a great deal.
