Italian Sausage, Peppers & Mushrooms on Garlic Buttered, Toasted Buns

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Italian comfort food!  Italian street food!  That's what mouthwatering Sausage, Peppers and Onions is all about.   Although this Italian hoagie/submarine style sandwich is often associated with people pushing street carts in Italy, it was in family-owned Italian taverns in the Midwest where my family introduced these mouth-watering, sloppy, often messy to handle with spill-down-your-face-with sauce sandwiches.  Actually, I serve these with a fork and knife to cut into instead because I can't handle being a messy eater.
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Whenever I make these, hubby comes into the kitchen and declares "What smells so good?"  It's the garlic, darlin', it's the garlic!  This is so aromatic bubbling on the stove!  The sweet peppers balance out the spiciness of the sausages and tomatoes; plus the buttery mushrooms, garlic and basil, and a splash of Marsala just bring this dish to a perfect melody of flavors.  Top that off with the garlic buttered bread . . . well, you cannot go wrong.  So completely comforting.
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You can serve this a variety of ways:  by itself, ladled over creamy polenta, or as I have here (as part of our Super Bowl spread), on toasted, garlic-buttered hoagie buns!  Mmmmm!  Perfect-o!

Italian Sausage and Peppers with Mushrooms and Onions
(very adapted from Giada de Laurentiis' recipe on Food Network)


6 - 8 links of sweet, mild Italian sausages (or if you can find it, Italian turkey sausage)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 - 10 cloves of garlic, sliced into slivers, not minced or pressed
1 lb. crimini or baby portabello mushrooms, cleaned with a cloth, stem ends trimmed, and sliced
2 large yellow onions, cut in half and then sliced
2 green peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced into 1/2" wide strips
2 red peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced into 1/2 " wide strips
1 yellow pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced into 1/2" wide strips
1  8 - 15 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp. tomato paste (to thicken the sauce; add more if you like it much thicker)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup Marsala or red wine (optional)
2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper to taste
Italian submarine/hoagie buns
butter
garlic powder


Poke the sausages all over with a fork.  
In a large, deep, heavy skillet, pour in the extra virgin olive oil, heat on medium heat.
Place the sausages in and cook until fairly brown.
Add the garlic to the sausages when they are not fully cooked, but fairly golden brown, so that the garlic does not burn from cooking too long.
Place the sausages into a large (13 x 9") baking dish, draining the oil to stay in the skillet.
Place the sausages in a pre-heated 400 degree oven to stay warm while cooking the peppers and onions.
Add the sliced onions to the hot left-over olive oil in the skillet.
Cook onions until browned and caramelized, but still crunchy, 6 minutes.
Add mushrooms to the cooked onions until browned and caramelized, 6 minutes.
Add the cooked onions and mushrooms to the sausages in the oven, draining the oil from them to be left in the skillet to saute' the peppers.
Add more olive oil to the pan if there is not enough.
Add all of the peppers and saute' 6 minutes; keep them at a nice level of crunchiness, not wilted or soft.
Remove the sausages, onion, and mushrooms from the oven.
Add the peppers to the sausage, onions, and mushrooms to the sausage mixture.
Add the oregano, basil and red pepper flakes; blend well
Add tomato sauce and wine at this point and carefully blend together.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Return to the 400 degree oven and bake uncovered for 20 minutes.


While baking, melt a stick of butter.
Add garlic powder to the melted butter to your preference level, about a Tablespoon.
Blend well.
With a pastry brush, thoroughly and heavily brush on the garlic butter on both sides of the hoagie/submarine buns.
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After the sausage, peppers, and onions are done baking, turn on the BROILER.
Place the buns under the broiler for about 2 - 3 minutes and watch them so they do not burn!  
When golden brown, remove from the oven.
Place a sausage on each bun and smother with the peppers, mushrooms, and onions!

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After the sausages are nicely browned, add the garlic to cook, but do not burn.

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Straight out of the oven and smelling like Italy . . . now this is comfort food!

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The only dish missing from this photo is the chili.  But this was just far too much food for 4 people and there were plenty of left-overs!

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Seasonal Saturday & Fresh, Clean and Pure Friday

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OK, it's the official week before the day of sharing our love with that special someone in our lives, or even with loving our own selves (which we should be doing each and every moment of every day).  Yes, I know that I could join the cynics and tarnish this time by saying, that 'it's all marketing' (that's what I teach by the way, so I know what's going on).  But what the heck, it's fun, it's romantic, and it breaks up a month of freezing temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere.  
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For those of us who aren't into winter sports (ie: snow skiing, ice skating, sledding, etc.), other then watching them and living vicariously on The Winter Olympics . . . Valentine's Day is a welcome heart-warming holiday!   And you don't even have to buy a Hallmark card to enjoy the day!  Besides, nothing says love more than something that is freshly made from one's own hands and from the gifts of the season.
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Click on "read More" beneath my signature below to read all of the shared posts.
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Can't Get Enough of this Guacamole for the Super Bowl & Whenever!

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Classics are called 'classics' for a reason.  These treasured dishes are always in season, always beloved, and always anticipated.  Guacamole from the Mexican, Latino culture is just one of those culinary classics that many of us simply cannot live without, especially when there's a crowd to feed.  My guacamole is ever-present at a party, and always, always when watching The Super Bowl.
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Oh yes, for the big game, I also had some of our hot, hot, HOT spicy chili, a great platter of  wings, the regular batch of chips and dip, my husband's and my homemade salsa for tortilla dipping, and the main course this year was our version of the classic winter Italian comfort and street food ~ ~ Italian Sausage and Peppers!  
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For just four people at this mini-party, we were stuffed with pleasure to say the least . . . especially with a few shrinking tummies that have been taking in less food in the last month and a half.  You know what?  That just means that there will be more fantastic left-overs to take to the office this week!  And that's a good thing!
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Set out all of your ingredients at one time and set in your work area, so that your preparation time is more efficient. Just the colors of these avocados and limes make your mouth water! Gosh, fresh produce is just so beautiful!!

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For a complete step-by-step pictorial procedure of preparing this guacamole, please click here for my original post on February 3, 2010, when I first posted this delightful guacamole recipe.  I am so happy to share this with you and I hope that you enjoy it!

So bring on the tortillas, a side bowl of salsa, sour cream, and melted Mexican cheese!  Let the game and the fun begin!  Ciao!

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Awesome Guacamole
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What you need to have to make the guacamole:
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3 large ripe Haas avocados, peeled and cubed
2 - 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped

8 green onions, sliced, or 1/2 small onion, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1/4 tsp. freshly minced garlic, or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. lime juice salt to taste 

pinch of Cayenne pepper (if desired)

salt and pepper to taste
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What you need to do to prepare the guacamole:
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In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and toss with some to coat.

Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated.
Mash the avocados to your desired level of chunkiness; we like ours CHUNKY!
Fold in the tomatoes, onions, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, and garlic.
Add 1 tablespoon more lime juice.
Add Cayenne pepper gradually, if preferred.
Sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste.

Taste and add any ingredient to your taste preferences.
Serve immediately with tortilla chips, a bowl of salsa, sour cream, and melted Mexican cheese.
When cutting or seeding hot peppers, use rubber or plastic gloves to protect your hands, and avoid touching your face after working with fresh jalapeno peppers.

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