Where I come from we would call this a wedge, some people call it a hero, some call it a hoagie or grinder, so I am just going with Sausage and Peppers Sandwiches here and you can call them whatever you like.

Sausage and Peppers Sandwiches

Sausage and Peppers Sandwiches rank right up there with Grilled Chicken with Salmoriglio as one of my standbys when I am getting my grill on in the summer. I remember once, years ago, I had a big cookout and my cousin Sal was working the grill. People would grab their roll, put it on a plate and walk over to the grill where Sal would load it up with sausage and peppers. Well, one of my co-workers (we called him Snowman) picked up his bread, slathered it with mustard and walked over to the grill. Sal was watching him the whole time like De Niro staring across the bar at Maury before he whacked him in Goodfellas. When he got to the grill, Sal calmly said “Snowman, don’t get me mad here. Go get a new roll.” And he was right, you just don’t put mustard on an Italian Sausage and Peppers Sandwich.

Sausage on The Grill

You can use sweet or hot Italian sausage, or both to satisfy everyone. Personally I like to put one sweet and one hot link in my sandwich. Best of both worlds! Some people get scared with sausage and are so afraid to undercook them, that they end up doing the opposite and drying them out. The best way to cook them on the grill is to start them out over the fire to get the outsides nice and browned then move them to indirect grilling to finish cooking gently. You will end up with perfectly cooked, juicy sausage.

There are a lot of choices for bread, you can cup up a long loaf of old school Italian bread, or use one of the fancier breads that are popular now. But if you ask me the perfect vehicle for grilled sausage smothered in sautéed peppers and onions is the humble club roll. It’s the perfect size and the texture is just right, substantial enough to handle the messy peppers and onions while still being easy to bite into. I used to get my club rolls from one of the good bakeries at Arthur Ave in the Bronx when I lived close by in Mt. Vernon. Now that I am in CT, too far to drive for just bread, I am lucky enough to have a local deli that gets their bread from those same bakeries.

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Sausage and Peppers

Sausage and Peppers Sandwiches Recipe


  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 large sweet yellow onion
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 2 green bell peppers
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 8 links of Italian Sausage, sweet, hot, or a combination of the two
  • 4 club, hero or wedge rolls, split

Instructions

  1. Peel the onions, cut them in half and slice, thinly, cross-wise.
  2. Cut the peppers in half, remove the stems and seeds, and slice into thin strips.
  3. In a large skillet, preferable cast iron, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onions and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Lower the heat to medium-low, and cook stirring frequently until onions are translucent and peppers are soft, 15-20 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, if using a gas grill turn the burners on one side to high. If using a charcoal grill, pile the coals on one side if the grill and light them.
  6. Place the sausage directly over the fire and cook, turning until browned on all sides. Then move to the side of the grill with no fire, cover the grill and cook, turning once until sausage is done, 8-10 minutes.
  7. Slice the club rolls open and place two links of sausage in each roll and cover with a heaping portion of the peppers and onions. Serve with a cold beer to wash it down!
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins


7 Responses

  1. Hi, Phil!! Hubby found you looking for Italian pasta recipes to post on our blog. So I decided to follow you on FB and there I saw a wonderful sausage and peppers sandwich. Lo and behold — oldest son gave us some wonderful spicy sausages made with venison and we’re planning on making them Italian style. BTW. I am Italian — born there but came over here with my folks when I was little. My parents are gone, I miss them, so I decided to start a blog and tell stories about them interspersed with food. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot from you. Your recipes look wonderful!!

  2. Phil, I love your recipes and website but you got this one all wrong. I have been cooking this my whole life and learned it from my father. First you gotta use Italian ring sausage w cheese and parsley, cooked on the grill. The peppers have to be cubanella peppers. The best is to have a hot plate on your grill where you can cook peppers and onions as they caramelize the brown sauce has all the flavor. And when it comes to the hero, it must be an Italian semolina with seeds. Take our the white center and fill it with sausage, peppers and onions. All the rest of the recipe is good.

    1. Excellent! But I must do it all in a large skillet on an electric stove top. I like sliced garlic in the P & O’s and a little Tomato Paste/ mixed in liquid to keep it juicy, and lastly I take the nearly cooked links and split them, browning the opened sides to crisp them up. If the rolls and links are long I’ll serve 1/2 the link leaving plenty of room in the roll for the juicy Peppers and onions. Add a splash of hot or mild tomato sauce on top!

      Tastes great on a gutted Semolina roll.

  3. Made this yesterday for the Memorial Day BBQ and it was right on target. Another great recipe from this very valuable site.

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