The BEST Sausage and Peppers
If there’s one thing my mom knows how to do, it’s cook. After over 40 years working in restaurants alongside her boyfriend Chef Avery, she still gets excited when a recipe turns out really good. And when it does? She calls me immediately to tell me every single detail. This sausage and peppers recipe was one of those calls. The little tricks in this recipe — the buttery peppers and onions, the tomato paste caramelizing into everything, and those hot cherry peppers with a splash of the vinegar. take this completely over the top. Whether you pile it onto toasted buns or spoon it over rice, this is hands down one of the best sausage and peppers recipes you’ll ever make.
If you love comforting Italian-American recipes like this, make sure you also try my Italian Roast Chicken and Potatoes, Sicilian Sausage and Ditalini Soup, Cowboy Spaghetti, and Sausage and Pepper Creamy Fettuccine.
The Best Hot Cherry Peppers, you need to have in your house!
This is how it should look BEFORE it goes BACK in the oven for the second bake!
Cherry Hoagie Spread with Mayo is incredible with this dish!
🤔 Common Questions
Yes! In fact, it tastes even better the next day after the flavors sit together.
Absolutely. Let it cool completely, then store in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
Hot cherry peppers are pickled spicy peppers usually packed in vinegar. They add heat, tanginess, and incredible flavor to this recipe.
You can adjust the level of spice based on the amount of hot cherry peppers you add. I enjoy more of a medium spice and that reflects the amount of cherry peppers in my recipe. However, you can adjust based on your spice tolerance level. If you like mild spice, add just two! Like a hot spice, add 5-6 cherry peppers. Here’s a fun fact: leave them completely out and follow as directed for no spice! Add a squeeze of 1/2 a lemon in the sausage and peppers if you want to leave the hot cherry peppers out entirely (to replace the hot cherry pepper vinegar or brine).
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Restaurant-style flavor with simple ingredients
- The tomato paste adds deep rich flavor
- Hot cherry peppers give the perfect tangy kick
- Great for meal prep and leftovers
- Delicious on buns, over rice, or even with pasta
- Easy enough for weeknights but tastes like Sunday dinner
Melissa Jo’s Tips Before Cooking
Start the peppers and onions first
Before you even put the sausage into the oven, start your peppers and onions. By the time the sausage finishes its first bake, your peppers and onions will be perfectly golden and ready to go into the pan.
Don’t rush the onions and peppers
At medium-high heat, the peppers and onions take about 20 minutes. At medium heat, expect closer to 30 minutes. Let them really soften and caramelize for the best flavor.
Add extra oil if needed
Right before adding the tomato paste and cherry peppers, drizzle in about 1 tablespoon of extra olive oil if the pan looks dry.
The cherry pepper vinegar matters
That little splash of vinegar from the jar adds brightness and cuts through the richness of the sausage beautifully.
The BEST Sausage and Peppers
Equipment
Ingredients
- Mild Italian sausage
- 3 bell peppers
- 2 large sweet onions
- 3-4 hot cherry peppers + splash of vinegar from jar
- 3 oz tomato paste
- Salt and pepper
- 5 cloves garlic sliced
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp mayo
- 1 tbsp Cherry Hoagie Spread
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle sausage with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Slice peppers and onions and season with salt and pepper.
- In a skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook peppers, onions, and garlic until golden.
- Stir in tomato paste, hot cherry peppers, vinegar into the skillet. Saute another 5- 10 minutes until the peppers and onions are the color of the sunset and deeply golden and soft. Add more olive oil if needed.
- Remove the sausage out of the oven after the first 30 minutes. Push the sausage to the side and add all of the peppers and onions into the baking pan with sausage. Then, place sausage on top of the peppers and onions. (In a small cup, mix the mayo and the cherry hoagie spread together; if you are turning these into hoagies)
- Bake another 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees. Once the sausage is golden brown it's done!
- Serve on buns or over rice, with the cherry hoagie spread!
Video
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👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days
