Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches

I've always loved the idea of sausage and peppers as an appetizer. So when I realized I could make a sausage and peppers sandwich, I was hooked! The other day for a staff meeting at work, we brought out the grill and tried it out!! I was too excited though and forgot to take any pictures!


The Recipe:

• Italian Sausage
• Red Bell Peppers
• Green Bell Peppers
• Onions
• Bread
• Spicy Mustard (optional)

Sausage and Peppers Sandwich
Photo Credit Serious Eats

I got the charcoal grill going and put the sausage in foil baking dish and put over the coals. This was for two reasons. I wanted to make sure I could slow cook all of the sausage without it burning or splitting, and I also wanted to capture the juices from the sausage to give the peppers and onions a bigger flavor. When everything is done, it's time to build some sandwiches! I used kaiser rolls for mine. French or Italian bread would work fine too.
Add some spicy mustard or tomato sauce if you have it on hand!

Happy Eating!

Sausage and Peppers with Pasta

Sausage and Peppers with Pasta

There's nothing I love better than a classic Italian recipe. So when I first came across this idea, I had to work on my own version!

The Recipe:

• 3 - 5 Links Sweet Italian Sausage - Sliced
• 1 Onion - Diced
• 3 Garlic Cloves - Minced 
• 1 Red Bell Pepper - Rough Chopped 
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper - Rough Chopped 
• 1 Package Cherry Tomatoes 
• Pasta - Linguine, Pappardelle, and Fettuccine work well
• Fresh Parsley
• Grated Parmesan 
• Salt and Pepper

Brown the sausage in a skillet. 

Brown the sausage in a heavy bottom skillet. Remove sausage to bowl to add later. Saute the onion and garlic in the sausage grease. Add a little olive oil if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bell peppers. Saute until the peppers are wilted. Add the sausage back in. Add the tomatoes. Stir occasionally until the tomatoes begin to open. Toss the sausage and peppers with the pasta in a large bowl. Serve with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan.

Optionally, I like to add some crushed red pepper flakes with the the onions to give a little extra spice.

I like to make this with some rustic, rough cut fresh pasta. Dried pasta works well here too.

Happy eating.

Italian Sausage Zucchini Soup, Slow Cooker Style

Some nights, you need something that is easy to make. The crock pot comes in to play here. A lot of times we will try to rework a recipe we already have for the crock pot, so we can focus on other things. Last weekend we did that with Italian Sausage Zucchini Soup. Check out the original recipe here.

Italian Sausage Zucchini Soup, Slow Cooker Style

The Recipe

• 1 Package Italian Sausage - Sliced
• 2 Onions - Diced
• 2 Zucchini - Sliced
• 1/2 to 1 1/2 Cups Merlot
• 2 15 oz Cans Whole Tomatoes
• 2 Boxes Beef Broth
• 1 Teaspoon Basil
• 2 Garlic Cloves - Diced
• Salt and Pepper
• Chopped Parsley
• Pasta - Penne, Farfalle, and Rigatoni work really well

Brown the sausage in a pan. Sauté the onion and garlic in the juices left from the sausage. Combine all the ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. If time permits, add the pasta about 30 minutes in. This will help keep the pasta from over cooking. 


Happy eating.

Italian Sausage Zucchini Soup

I'm feeling a little nostalgic lately, so I decided to share a recipe we always made growing up. This soup recipe was past down from my aunt.

The Recipe:

Italian Sausage Zucchini Soup

• 1 Package Italian Sausage - Sliced
• 2 Onions - Diced
• 2 Zucchini - Sliced
• 1/2 to 1 1/2 Cups Merlot
• 2 15 oz Cans Whole Tomatoes
• 2 Boxes Beef Broth
• 1 Teaspoon Basil
• 2 Garlic Cloves - Diced
• Salt and Pepper
• Chopped Parsley
• Noodles 

Brown the Italian Sausage in a large heavy bottom stock pot. I prefer to use either sweet Italian sausage or spicy Italian sausage. The mild sausage doesn't quite fill out the flavor profile of the soup. 

Remove the browned Italian sausage from the pot. There should be about a tablespoon of grease left behind from the sausage. If not, add a little bit of olive oil. 

Sauté the onions and garlic. Add the Italian sausage back in to the pot. Add the remaining ingredients bring to a boil. Let simmer for about 25-30 minutes. Add the noodles, zucchini, and parsley and simmer another 10-15 minutes. Penne or Rigatoni pasta work the best, but I usually use whatever is lying around the pantry.

Sometimes I'll add a can of Great Northern White beans as a substitute for the noodles. Other times, I'll use both the beans and noodles to make the soup a little bit more hearty. Sometimes I'll stir in a little spinach at the end too.

Happy Eating!

Italian Sausage Stuffed Pork Loin

Italian sausage stuffed pork loin

Today I am sharing my recipe for my Italian Sausage Stuffed Pork Loin. This is one of those recipes I created back in college to use on my friends who didn't mind being guinea pigs for food every now and then. Ultimately this recipe was inspired by stuffed pork chops we used to get from Veron's Cajun Meat Market when I was little. I've done this one a few different ways, with a tenderloin, pork chops, or a loin, smoked or baked. It always comes out great!


The Recipe:

• 3 to 4 lb pork loin
• 2 links Italian sausage, skinned
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and Pepper
• String
• Plastic wrap

Butterfly the pork loin and lay it flat on a sturdy surface. Cover the meat with a sheet of plastic wrap to keep the mess to minimum. Starting in the middle and working your way out, use a meat tenderizer to tenderize the meat. You'll want it to be about a 1/2 inch to 3/14 of an inch thick. 

Meat Tenderizer

I have a meat tenderizer that I really like that is different than the traditional mallet style meat tenderizer. It has a handle with a reversible disc on the bottom. The disc sits under your fist and uses the full force of your hand motion to tenderize the meat. It works a lot more efficiently than the mallet style tenderizer. I generally stick with flat side so that I don't destroy the meat.

Remove the plastic wrap and apply salt and pepper to both sides of the meat. Set aside.

Stuffed pork loin ready to go in the oven.

Combine the sausage, bell pepper, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. The best way to mix it up is with your hands. Once combined, spread the mixture evenly in the pork loin and fold the pork loin over. Tie the pork loin with string to keep the stuffing from coming out. I usually use 5 or 6 pieces of string to keep the pressure even.

Place it in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees and the reduce to 350 degrees. Cook 20 minutes per pound at 350 degrees or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

If you decide to smoke it, plan on 4 to 5 hours at 225 degrees, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.