Sausage and Peppers

 Here's a photo of a couple of Jersey Girls celebrating their kids Boston College graduation.  We know the difference between a sub sandwich and a grinder!

Growing up in New Jersey, my Italian father would often make dinner.  My Irish mother was a decent cook (when you marry an Italian guy, if you can’t cook you have to learn to cook).  Johnnie, didn’t cook healthy, mind you, and he and his siblings had many health issues later in their lives, but oh how fabulous did the kitchen smell when he was making dinner!  I can remember coming home from track practice or cheerleading, running up the street smelling garlic and olive oil knowing that it was coming from my house.

This dish is crazy easy and a huge crowd pleaser. 

My father added peeled cut up potatoes and would serve it in a bowl with crusty Italian bread.  I like to leave out the potatoes so that people can make a sausage and pepper sub.  And yes in NJ we call them sub sandwiches not Grinders or any other dumb ass name.

Serves 4

3 sweet Italian sausages

3 hot Italian sausages

3 yellow onions (cut in 1” chunks)

4 green peppers (cut in 1” chunks)

2 cloves garlic (peeled and sliced thin)

2 tablespoons dried oregano

3 bay leaves

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

9”x13” baking dish

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Bake sausages whole for 20 minutes.  Take out of oven and cut in ½ or in 3 pieces, depending on size of sausages (2”pieces).  Put back into oven with onions, peppers, garlic, oregano, bay leaves and olive oil.  Bake another 30 minutes.  Toss and add some salt and pepper.  Test if sausages are done.  They may need 10-15 minutes more. Remove the bay leaves.

Serve with Italian rolls.

Congratulations Kevin. I'm so proud of you my love.  Love, Mom