Sausage and Peppers Sandwich

These sandwiches are loaded with juicy sausages and soft peppers & onions in a rich tomato sauce!

Sausage and Peppers

Sausage and peppers is a really simple yet incredibly delicious combo. It’s origins are American-Italian and can be served in a few different ways. Here, much to your surprise I’m sure, we’re serving it in a sandwich 😛

Sausage and Peppers Sauce

Personally I’m fond of sausage and peppers in a saucy context. Okay that sounded wrong. You know what I mean 🤣. Here we’re going for a nice thick and rich tomato sauce, consisting of a base of canned tomatoes, tomato paste and a little chicken stock. Alongside that I throw in some onion/garlic to create a base for the sauce, some basil/oregano for an extra layer of flavour, some chilli flakes to offer a little heat and some red wine vinegar to offer a gentle tangy flavour to the sauce.

What kind of sausage to use?

You’ll want to get your hands on some Italian sausages if you can. I’ve added a little more on this in the recipe card notes to adapt if you can’t find Italian sausages.

What kind of peppers to use?

Regular bell peppers work fine. I use 2 large ones and try to use different colours.

Process shots: add sausages to oil (photo 1), fry then remove (photo 2), fry onion/peppers (photo 3), fry garlic (photo 4) fry tomato paste (photo 5), add tomatoes, stock, vinegar and seasoning (photo 6), add sliced sausage (photo 7), stir and simmer (photo 8).

Sausage and Peppers Sandwich

You want to reduce the sauce right down so everything’s nicely thickened. This is also an important step to marry all the flavours together. For the sandwiches here’s what you’ll need:

• Bread – In the form of a small baguette/sub or Italian roll. Warmed in the oven until lightly crisp.
• Butter – This will melt into the bread and take this sandwich from a 9 to a 10.
• Parmesan – I like to sprinkle over parmesan at the end just to finish. Adds an extra layer of flavour. Still delicious without though!
• Parsley – Optional but finishes things off nicely.

Process shots: warm roll (photo 1), slice and spread butter (photo 2), add sausage and peppers (photo 3), sprinkle with parmesan/parsley (photo 4).

Sausage and Pepper Sandwich FAQ

Can I keep the sausage whole?

I like to slice the sausages into chunks for a few different reasons:

• Size – You’ll get around 1 1/2 sausages per sandwich, which is an annoying. Slicing them up makes them easier to eat.
• Flavour – By slicing up the sausage you break the barrier (i.e the skin) between the sauce and the meat. This means there’s a much deeper flavour exchange between the sausage meat and the sauce.
• Cooked – It allows you to ensure your sausage is cooked right through the centre as it simmers in the sauce.

Can I add more cheese to this sandwich?

I’ve added Provolone to this sandwich in the past, which worked well. You can grill it on top or place it underneath the sausage/peppers to lightly melt.

Can I make the sausage and peppers ahead of time?

Sure! Just store in the fridge until needed then reheat on the stove until piping hot again (more on this in the recipe card).

Serving Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches

These are actually really hearty, so I tend to serve them for dinner. I usually serve these as they are, but you could totally add some Garlic Parmesan Fries or Marinated Olives if you fancied!

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this sausage and pepper sandwich shall we?!

How to make Sausage and Peppers Sandwich (Full Recipe & Video)

Sausage and Peppers Sandwich

These sandwiches are loaded with juicy sausages and soft peppers & onions in a rich tomato sauce!

5 from 6 votes

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings (click & slide): 4 sandwiches

Calories per serving: 612kcal

Author: Chris

Cost per serving: £2 / $2.50

Equipment

• Large Frying Pan & Wooden Spoon
• Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
• Tongs & Side Bowl (for removing/resting sausages)

Ingredients

• 6 Italian Sausages (see notes)
• 4x 6" Sub Rolls/Baguettes/Italian Rolls warmed in the oven until lightly crisp
• 1x 14oz/400g can of good quality Skinned Plum Tomatoes or Chopped Tomatoes
• 1/4 cup / 60ml Chicken Stock (can sub veg stock if that's what you have)
• 2 large Peppers, sliced
• 1 medium Onion, sliced
• 2 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
• 1 heaped tbsp Tomato Paste (Tomato Puree in UK)
• 1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 tsp EACH: Dried Basil, Dried Oregano
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes
• Sugar, Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 4 tbsp Butter, or as needed (to butter bread)
• 4 pinches of Parmesan, to serve
• Olive Oil, for frying
• Fresh Parsley, to serve (optional)

Instructions

• In a large pan over over low-medium heat add a drizzle of oil. Add in your sausages and fry for 15-20mins, turning some-what frequently. A lower heat will render down the fat and make the skin nice and crispy, whilst making sure the meat cooks properly. Remove sausages, keep in the fat and raise heat slightly to medium.
• Add in peppers & onions and fry until they begin to soften/brown. Add in garlic and fry for another minute or so, then stir in tomato paste and fry for another 2mins. Pour in stock and deglaze the pan with your wooden spoon.
• Add tomatoes, red wine vinegar, basil/oregano, chilli flakes and sugar, salt & pepper to taste. Give it all a good stir. Slice your sausages into chunks and add them to the sauce, then lower heat slightly and simmer for 15-20mins, or until the sauce has completely thickened. This is not only important to reduce the liquid, but also to marry the flavours together.
• Slice your subs and spread with butter. Add in sausage and peppers then top with a sprinkling of parmesan and fresh parsley (optional). Enjoy!

Quick Demo

Notes

a) Sausages - In the UK you'll find Italian/Italian inspired sausages in Asda and Waitrose. Failing that just get some nice herby sausages. If you're in the US you can use mild or spicy Italian sausage links depending on your spice preference. For reference 6 sausages are around 14oz/400g total in weight.

b) Seasoning - Depending on the brand of tomatoes you might need to balance them out with some sugar. I usually add a pinch in with everything at the start, then taste test once it's all reduced and adjust accordingly. The tomatoes will taste more acidic than they actually are at the beginning because of the red wine vinegar.

c) Make Ahead - You can make the sausages and peppers ahead of time then reheat and serve as a sandwich. Just allow to cool then tightly cover in the fridge for 1-2 days. Reheat over a low heat in a pan until piping hot again. Use a splash of stock or water to loosen up if you need to.

d) Calories - per sandwich assuming 1/2 tbsp olive oil for frying and 2 tsp parmesan per sandwich:

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Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts

Sausage and Peppers Sandwich

Amount Per Serving

Calories 612 Calories from Fat 394

% Daily Value*

Fat 43.76g67%

Saturated Fat 17.296g108%

Trans Fat 0.037g

Polyunsaturated Fat 5.36g

Monounsaturated Fat 18.42g

Cholesterol 94mg31%

Sodium 1194mg52%

Potassium 738mg21%

Carbohydrates 32.19g11%

Fiber 4.8g20%

Sugar 9.25g10%

Protein 21.84g44%

Vitamin A 3313IU66%

Vitamin C 121.3mg147%

Calcium 178mg18%

Iron 3.97mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.

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