Some meals don’t need trends, reinvention, or fancy ingredients to stay legendary. Sausage, peppers, and onions
slightly sweet from caramelized onions and peppers, and packed with that unmistakable “one-pan dinner” magic.
Whether you grew up eating it at home, grabbed it from a street fair on a toasted roll, or learned to make it as a
fast weeknight meal, this recipe delivers the same satisfying result: juicy sausage, tender peppers, sweet onions,
and a rich pan sauce that begs for crusty bread. It’s simple, hearty, and incredibly adaptable—exactly what comfort food should be.
Introduction:
The beauty of sausage, peppers, and onions is how a few basic ingredients turn into something deeply flavorful
with the right technique. Sausage brings fat and seasoning. Peppers add sweetness and bite. Onions melt down
into a soft, caramelized base. When you brown the sausage first, then cook the vegetables in those drippings,
everything builds on itself—layered flavor without extra effort.
This dish can be served many ways: piled into hoagie rolls, spooned over pasta, tucked into rice bowls,
or served as a low-carb skillet dinner. The key is getting the sausage browned (not steamed), cooking the vegetables
until they’re tender and slightly jammy, and finishing with a splash of broth, wine, or marinara to bring it all together.
If you want a recipe that tastes like it simmered all day but comes together in under an hour, you’re in the right place.
Ingredients:
Serves 4–6.
Main Ingredients
- Italian sausage: 1 1/2 to 2 lb (680–900 g), sweet or hot (links)
- Bell peppers: 3 large (mix of red, yellow, green), sliced
- Onions: 2 large, sliced
- Garlic: 3 cloves, minced
- Olive oil: 1–2 tbsp (as needed)
- Salt & pepper: to taste
Seasonings
- Italian seasoning: 1 tsp
- Crushed red pepper flakes: 1/4–1/2 tsp (optional)
- Smoked paprika: 1/2 tsp (optional, adds depth)
For the Pan Sauce (Choose One)
- Option A (Classic): 1/2 cup chicken broth + 1 tbsp tomato paste
- Option B (Italian-American): 1 to 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
- Option C (Peppery & Light): 1/2 cup broth + 1/4 cup white wine (optional)
For Serving
- Hoagie/sub rolls (toasted)
- Cooked pasta or rice
- Fresh basil or parsley
- Grated Parmesan (optional)
Sausage note: Sweet Italian sausage gives classic comfort flavor; hot Italian sausage adds heat.
You can also mix half sweet, half hot for balance.
