There’s always a moment in the dead of winter when you tell yourself spring will never come. Then—suddenly—it does. The sun comes out, people start smiling at each other again, and farmers’ markets and grocery stores fill up with the first real taste of the season.
Spring brings an explosion of fresh produce: piles of leafy greens, bundles of garlic scapes, crates of tender onions, and the short-lived treasures you wait all year for, like ramps and fiddlehead ferns. Some ingredients are available year-round, but this is when they taste their best. Others only show up for a few weeks, which means now is the time to grab them while you can.
Once the produce hits, the real fun starts: figuring out what to cook. Every flavor of The Sausage Project—from Melty Cheddar to Italian Herb to Classic Roasted—pairs perfectly with your favorite spring produce, making it easy to turn what you find at the market into something fresh, satisfying, and full of flavor.
Below are some of our most loved spring ingredients and the chicken sausage pairings that make the most of them.
Melty Cheddar Chicken Sausage
Best paired with: avocados, onions, and cabbage
In case you didn't get the memo, it's the year of cabbage, apparently. Now, cabbage might not scream spring, but certain varieties (Duncan, Pixie, and Spring's Hero) are harvested from late March through and are far more tender and sweet than their winter counterparts. Spring onions are also at their best right now, with mild bulbs and bright green tops that work in everything from quick sautés to slow caramelized dishes. And yes, avocados hit peak season in the spring, when their higher oil content makes them extra rich and creamy from March through May.
All three pair naturally with Melty Cheddar Chicken Sausage, whose smoky, cheesy flavor plays especially well with sweet onions, soft cabbage, and buttery avocado.
For a comforting dinner, try folding sliced chicken sausage and caramelized spring onions into mac and cheese (here's a great starter recipe), or serve the sausages alongside for an easy upgrade. If you’re leaning into cabbage season, a one-pan skillet of charred spring cabbage and onions with Melty Cheddar makes a simple, deeply savory meal—finish it with a little mustard and good bread on the side, and you’re set. Leftovers also happen to make a great frittata the next morning.
And since spring mornings call for something hearty, this is also the perfect time for a loaded breakfast burrito. Eggs, cheddar, sausage, and fresh avocado make an easy combination, and you can prep everything ahead of time and add herbs or hot sauce right before serving for extra brightness.
Italian Herb Chicken Sausage
Best paired with: ramps, garlic scapes, fiddleheads, and artichokes
Spring is the season for ingredients you only see for a few weeks each year. Ramps, garlic scapes, and fiddleheads all show up briefly and disappear just as quickly, which makes them feel like treasure when you find them. Their bold, green, slightly garlicky flavor naturally complements the herbs and spices in Italian Herb Chicken Sausage, while artichokes—also at their peak in spring—bring a nutty richness that works especially well with sausage and olive oil.
These ingredients shine in simple dishes that let their flavor do the work. Ramps and garlic scapes can be blended into a bright spring pesto and tossed with pasta, spread on sandwiches, or stirred into mayo for an easy upgrade. Fiddleheads sauté beautifully with olive oil and garlic, making a perfect side for sliced sausage or a warm addition to a grain bowl.
If you want something richer, try a one-pan skillet with spinach, artichokes, ramps, and sausage finished with a little cream cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano. It has the feel of a classic spinach-artichoke dip, but hearty enough for dinner. Leftovers also make an excellent pressed sandwich the next day, which might be the best part of cooking in the first place.
Classic Roasted Chicken Sausage
Best paired with: morel mushrooms, asparagus, pineapple, and lemons
Classic Roasted Chicken Sausage is the most versatile of the bunch, which makes it perfect for spring cooking. Earthy morel mushrooms, bright asparagus, sweet pineapple, and fresh lemons all hit their stride this time of year, and this sausage works with all of them the same way rotisserie chicken does—anywhere you need something savory, juicy, and reliable.
If you’re lucky enough to find morels, keep things simple and let them shine—they are, after all, the princesses of the mushroom kingdom. They’re excellent in a creamy mushroom sauce served over pasta or mashed potatoes, with crisped chicken sausage on top. Asparagus is just as easy: a quick sauté or roast alongside sliced sausage is all it takes for a dinner that feels like it came straight from the farmers’ market.
Spring is also a great time to lean into sweet-savory flavors. Pineapple pairs surprisingly well with chicken sausage, especially in tacos or grain bowls where the sweetness balances the smoky, salty bite. Add avocado, herbs, or a squeeze of lime and you’ve got something that tastes like warmer weather.
For something brighter, try pairing sausage with lemon in simple pan sauces, pastas, or rice dishes. Lemon and chicken sausage are a natural match, and a little butter, white wine, or fresh herbs is often all you need to pull everything together. It’s fresh, easy, and exactly the kind of cooking spring calls for.
More Spring Produce Pairings
Think that's it? It's spring, and everything is im bloom. Peas, radishes, spinach, strawberries, new potatoes, herbs by the handful—this is the time of year when everything seems to taste brighter, greener, and just a little more alive. The good news is that chicken sausage plays well with all of it. Go ahead and cook up a simple plate of gnocchi, peas, and chicken sausage. Toss your fresh asparagus into a Tuscan Scramble and start your day the right way. Improvise a sheet pan.
Whether you’re tossing it into a quick pasta, loading it onto a sheet pan with whatever looked good at the farmers’ market, or building a last-minute dinner around what’s in the fridge, a good sausage makes the whole thing feel intentional. So grab what’s in season, fire up the stove, and let spring do the hard work.