Cheesy Sausage Phyllo Cups with Ranch Dressing - Butter & Baggage (2024)

Home » Recipes » Appetizers

Published: Jul 14, 2015 · Modified: Nov 13, 2023 by Barbara Curry · This post may contain affiliate links.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.

These 4-ingredient sausage and cheese phyllo cups are an easy appetizer that you can make in just 10 minutes. The perfect finger food, phyllo cups are stuffed full of flavorful ground sausage and gooey cheese with just a touch of red pepper flakes for a little kick of heat. Perfect for your next holiday party, game day get-together, or just a fun night at home.

Phyllo Cups Filled with Sausage, Ranch and Cheese

Baked up like mini pie crusts, these little finger foods are out of this world yummy. They make an irresistible addition to your appetizer table,brunch spread(perfect for the holiday season), or for game days. They’re hard to resist when they’re warm, just out of the oven.

The filling is made of breakfast sausage, Colby Jack cheese, and ranch dressing. Everyone’s favorite flavors! It’s a 1-2 bite snack that no one will believe only took a couple of minutes to whip together.

The flaky crispy phyllo cup holds everything together and provides the perfect balance to the cheesy filling.

Prep these ahead of time and just pop them in the oven when your friends arrive. These are one of those appetizers that really should be eaten warm. As they cool, they still taste great, but you loose the gooey cheese as it cools.

Everytime I make these, I’m always a little surprised at how good they are with just a couple of ingredients.

I’ll serve these along with cold appetizers like peach salsa or corn dip so that all your appetizers don’t need to be warmed. You’ll find that they’re a perfect addition to round out yourappetizer table.

Serving Ideas to Go With Stuffed Phyllo Cups

• Spinach and prosciutto pinwheels,
• Heirloom tomato tart
• Brie pull-part bread
• Shrimp cream cheese dip

Why You’ll Love This 4-Ingredient Appetizer

• So flavorful and cheesy.Everyone loves sausage and cheese, and with the addition of ranch dressing, these little bite-sized appetizer cups will be a huge hit at your party.
• Easy appetizers.I guarantee you’ll make this recipe again, because they aren’t just amazingly yummy, they’re alsoso​ simple to make. They take just a few minutes to create!
• Customize to your liking.You can substitute the ingredients in these cups to create lots of flavors and it’s simple to do! (More ideas below)

What is phyllo pastry?

Phyllo pastry, also known as filo pastry, is a very thin and delicate dough that’s commonly used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine.

Unbaked phyllo pastry is sold in translucent, paper-thin sheets and when you bake them, they come out a beautiful golden brown color with a crispy, flaky texture. It’s what makes baklava so amazing. (Here’s a recipe for baklava from The Mediterranean Dish if you feel inspired)

Sausage and Cheese Phyllo Cup Recipe Ingredients

See Also

Simple Rustic Table Setting - Love Grows Wild24 Foods You’re Throwing Away But Shouldn’t BeTeriyaki Shrimp Broccoli Stir Fry (Ready in 30 mins)Making Homemade Pure Vanilla Extract from Scratch (Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic) plus free printable tags!

• Pre-baked mini phyllo cups –You can find these in the frozen section, usually near the pie crust and other frozen desserts.
• Breakfast sausage –Ground breakfast sausage has plenty of flavor that tastes great in these cups, but you can also use sweet or spicy ground Italian sausage if you prefer.
• Colby jack cheese –I always recommend that you grate your own cheese because it melts better.
• Ranch dressing –You want the bottle of dressing, not the powdered seasoning mix. Any bottle or brand will do, so choose your favorite, or make your own homemade ranch and use what’s left to make a ranch potato salad.
• Red pepper flakes –This is an optional seasoning, but the touch of heat really enhances the flavor of the sausage.

How To Make Sausage and Cheese Phyllo Cups

Here are the steps you’ll take to make these really easy sausage appetizers. See below for the full recipe.

Step 1: Cook the sausage.

Before you begin cooking, line a dinner plate with a few layers of paper towels and set it aside. Then, place a small skillet over medium / low heat and add the sausage. Break it into little crumbles while it cooks. Once it’s fully cooked and no pink remains, empty the sausage onto the paper towel-lined plate to cool. The paper towels should also soak up a lot of the grease.

Step 2: Combine the filling.

In a medium bowl, measure out the cheese and the ranch dressing and stir to combine. Then, add the sausage and red pepper flakes and stir again.

Step 3: Fill the cups and bake.

Place all of your phyllo cups on a rimmed baking sheet. Evenly divide the sausage mixture between the cups. Place the tray in the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and the cups are hot. Serve warm.

A Few Recipe Notes

• These phyllo cup appetizers can be served at room temperature and they will still taste great! But they are just so much better when they’re eaten hot!
• Make sure your phyllo cups are fully thawed before you bake these cups.
• Try not to overfill the cups, if you do the cheese will melt over the top of the cups.

How to Store Leftover Phyllo Cups

In the fridge:If you have leftover phyllo cup appetizers, you can store them in a single layer in the fridge for later. Place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 days.

In the freezer:​ Let them cool completely and store in an airtight container or freezer bag for 2-3 months.

How to reheat:Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 350°F. Place the thawed phyllo cups on a baking tray and reheat for about 5 minutes or until hot through. As a side note, I’ve tried reheating these in the microwave and the puff pastry gets soggy and wet, so I don’t recommend it.

What other types of filling can I use in these cups?

Sausage, cheese, and ranch dressing is a winning combination, but if you’re in the mood for something a bit different, here are more savory fillings you can try:

Breakfast cups: Make some mini quiches by adding eggs and zucchini.

Pizza phyllo cups:Instead of ranch dressing, stir in some pizza sauce.

Bite-sized spinach phyllo cups:​ Stir ¼ cup of sauteed spinach into your sausage mixture and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Taco cups:​ Sprinkle some taco seasoning into ground beef instead of breakfast sausage.

More Crowd-Pleasing Appetizer Recipes for Your Next Party

If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me onInstagramusing the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.

More Favorites from Butter & Baggage