Two Fast Dinner Recipes Using Italian Sausage
Leave the Oven Off With These Summer Dining, Stovetop Dishes
May 13, 2009
Italian sausage can provide a good base for dinner recipes because it cooks fast and can easily be altered to suit a family’s tastes. Stovetop dishes are particularly desirable during the summer months when it is too hot to turn on the oven. Italian sausage dinner recipes like Italian Sausage Subs and Sausage, Peppers and Potatoes cook fast and only use one pan.
Italian Sausage Subs Is Perfect for Summer Dining
Summer dining is all about simplicity and ease. Italian Sausage Subs is a fast recipe that still provides a substantial meal. Cooks who have to stop off at the grocery store on the way home to pick up ingredients for dinner will find this recipe becomes a favorite. This recipe feeds 4.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound/1 package of Italian sausage, mild or spicy.
- 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce.
- 1 green pepper, thinly sliced.
- 1 white or red onion, thinly sliced.
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano.
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
- 1/8 teaspoon dried basil.
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley.
- Sliced provolone or shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Hoagie rolls, French bread or Italian bread loaf.
Directions:
- In a large frying pan, brown sausages on all sides.
- Halfway through cooking, slice sausages open lengthwise while leaving one side still connected. Sausages will lay flat.
- When sausages are cooked completely, drain grease.
- Add green pepper and onion and cook until they begin to release their juices.
- Add tomato sauce and spices and stir gently.
- Leave pan uncovered and allow sauce to heat through and thicken slightly.
- Serve sausages with onion, peppers and sauce on rolls and top with cheese.
This recipe can be customized to the family’s taste by choosing either mild or spicy Italian sausage. When using spicy sausage, the dried spices that are added to the tomato sauce can be omitted if preferred. Leaving one side of the sausages still connected will allow the sausages to lay flat on the bread and not roll or slide around as much as if they were whole or loose.
To cook sausages quickly, partially cover the frying pan and add about 1/2 cup of water. Cook over medium high heat. Turn frequently, being sure to allow steam to escape and adding water a little at a time as needed. This method also works well with the recipe below until it is time to slice the sausage. While browning the sausages is not necessary for Italian Sausage Subs, it is preferred for Sausage, Peppers and Potatoes.
Sausage, Peppers and Potatoes Is a Fast Dinner Recipe
Italian sausage is very versatile and should not be limited to dishes with tomato sauce, like Italian Sausage Subs or Spaghetti with Italian Sausage. The ingredients in this dinner recipe create simple fare that will become a popular standby. It is ideal for summer dining when peppers and red potatoes are fresh from the garden. This recipe makes 4 large servings. Add a side salad to complete the meal.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound/1 package Italian sausage, mild or spicy.
- 1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch chunks.
- 2 green peppers, cut into 1-inch chunks or slices.
- 6 medium red potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch chunks.
- 3/4 cup water.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, optional.
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper, optional.
- Grated parmesan or shredded mozzarella cheese, optional.
Directions:
- In a deep skillet that has a lid, cook sausage until it turns a brown color on all sides.
- Remove from pan and cut into 1-inch chunks.
- Return to pan, brown on all sides and cook until almost cooked through. Drain grease.
- Add remaining ingredients, cover and cook over medium low heat for 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally and cook until potatoes are fork tender.
- Add shredded or grated cheese just before serving, if desired.
Like many recipes that use red potatoes, peeling the potatoes is an optional step. White potatoes can be substituted for red, but cooking time may need to be lengthened. When cutting potatoes, try to keep them roughly the same size for even cooking. Bite-size pieces will cook faster than larger pieces.
This recipe is easy to alter for those who prefer their green peppers to be crisp-tender rather than fully cooked. After draining grease, add all ingredients except peppers. Cook until potatoes are nearly fork tender. Stir ingredients one last time, and then add peppers in a layer on top of other ingredients. Check the water level and if necessary add a few tablespoons of water to ensure the peppers will steam and other ingredients will not stick to the pan.
Italian sausage provides a very versatile base for summer dining. Italian Sausage Subs and Sausage, Peppers and Potatoes are fast dinner recipes that keep the stove off on hot summer nights. Using mild or spicy Italian sausage will add variety to the dishes and can accommodate the family’s tastes.
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