So you want to make sausage and peppers. This recipe is so incredibly easy to make. It's one of those that screams “If I can do it…you can do it!”
What I love most about this Italian Sausage & Pepper recipe is that anyone who eats it has the same reaction- “This is SO DELICIOUS!” In fact, we shared this in our News Channel 13 cooking segment while in the “Let's Eat” Kitchen.
Whether you make peppers and sausage in a skillet or for a big crowd of party-goers, this is a dish you will want to have in your recipe box for sure!
Cooking with Sausage
I love cooking with sausage. It is a very versatile ingredient that tastes delicious in a lot of dishes like Sausage, Kale, Sweet Potato Soup, or as a perfect topping on our Keto Pizza.
You can cook whole sausage links, slice into medallions, or use ground sausage and cook either in a frying pan or cast iron skillet.
How to Cook Sausage and Peppers In the Oven
This is a question we receive a lot. Cooking sausage and peppers in the oven is also really easy. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once you have your roasting pan of sausage ready, you will place in the oven and let it cook for about 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Here are some great tools to have for oven roasting Italian sausage:
To roast your sausage add one tablespoon olive oil to your pan. Then add sausage links or cut medallions. Place in oven and stir every 10-15 minutes so the sausage is browned on all sides.
How to Cook Sausage & Peppers for a Crowd
In my trial and errors, I have found what tastes best is to use both hot and sweet sausage and every color pepper with only a few green ones mixed in.
The pictures that will follow were taken as I prepared to make this for a party of 100. It's A LOT of sausage, but the ratio to peppers and onions will be the same even if you are making a smaller batch.
Sausage and Peppers for 100
To make this sausage and peppers recipe for a crowd, I used
- 8- 1lb. packages each of hot links and sweet links. That's 16 lb. of sausage.
- 6 peppers each; red, orange, yellow, cut in 1-inch strips
- 3 peppers green, cut in 1-inch strips
- 2 lb bag of onions, plus 2 if needed, cut in 1-inch strips
- 1 28-ounce can of Hunts Tomato Sauce
- Salt & Pepper
Steps to make:
- In a large roasting pan
, brown sausage in a 350′ oven, stirring every 15 min. or so.
- While that is cooking, you want to wash and cut in strips (about 1″ thick) your peppers. I used (6) peppers of each color- red, orange and yellow and only (3) green.
- Then cut up onions (2lb. bag) in the same size strip.
- Throw all together into a big bowl
.
- You should have slightly more onion than peppers. If not, add 2-3 more onions.
- Once the sausage is browned, there is a very easy way to show guests which is hot and which is sweet.
Cooking Tip!
I cut all the links in half (across, not lengthwise). I then split the sweet in half, lengthwise, careful not to cut all the way through. Once this is done, add all the peppers and onions.
The ratio of sausage to peppers should look like this.
7. Then I add (1) large can (28oz.) of tomato sauce. (I use Hunts brand) .
8. Just pour over the top, no need to stir just yet.
9. Then shake on salt and pepper. I would say I add about 2 tsp. of each to this size recipe.
You can see in this picture how much pepper and salt and sauce is on top. This is before it is put in the oven.
Cook this in the 350′ oven for about 45-60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so. The water from the peppers and onions will mix with the juice from the sausage and sauce and will give you enough “sauce”.
This will be done when the peppers are soft- if you picked them up with a fork they would droop over the sides.
When making this big batch for a party, I pull out my electric roaster and set it on 200 degrees to keep everything warm. I love my roaster- it's the perfect appliance to have for entertaining large crowds!
That's it. So easy.
Sausage and Peppers 101
If you need a smaller batch– I would probably break it down like this:
For every package of sausage links, I would use (1) green pepper, (2) of red, yellow and orange; If the peppers are huge, then I would half the quantity. Use 5-6 onions. The sauce is the tricky one…
- if one package of sausage: I would use the tiny can of sauce;
- 2 packages: the medium size can;
- 3 pkgs: use 1 medium & 1 small can;
- 4 pkgs: 2 medium cans;
- and 5 or more pkgs: 1 big can of sauce.
I just made this the other night and did not add the sauce and it was still really good. I think the secret is the multi-color peppers.
If you enjoy making this delicious sausage & peppers recipe, please help me share the love by sharing on Facebook and Pinterest!
And be sure to tag us @eatpicks- #eatpicks if you share on Instagram!
Sausage and Peppers
Sausage and peppers for a crowd is best for any party! Delicious and easy, your guests will come back for more!
Ingredients
- 8- 1lb. packages each of hot links and sweet links. That's 16 lb. of sausage.
- 6 peppers each; red, orange, yellow, cut in 1-inch strips
- 3 peppers green, cut in 1-inch strips
- 2 lb bag of onions, plus 2 if needed, cut in 1-inch strips
- 1 28-ounce can of Hunts Tomato Sauce
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- In a large roasting pan, brown sausage in a 350' oven, stirring every 15 min. or so.
- While that is cooking, you want to wash and cut in strips (about 1" thick) your peppers. I used (6) peppers of each color- red, orange and yellow and only (3) green.
- Then cut up onions (2lb. bag) in the same size strip.
- Throw all together into a big bowl.
- You should have slightly more onion than peppers. If not, add 2-3 more onions.
- Once the sausage is browned, there is a very easy way to show guests which is hot and which is sweet.
- add (1) large can (28oz.) of tomato sauce. (I use Hunts brand)
- Just pour over the top, no need to stir just yet.
- shake on salt and pepper. I would say I add about 2 tsp. of each to this size recipe.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
100Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 235 Total Fat: 21g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 11g Cholesterol: 45mg Sodium: 611mg Carbohydrates: 3g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 2g Protein: 9g
Karen Corso says
Kelly, how long did you cook the sausage in the oven before adding the peppers and onions?
Thank you. Karen
Kelly Pugliano says
Hi Karen, I would say that this dish takes me approximately 30 minutes for the sausage to brown and cook all the way through. You want to make sure that the sausage is no longer pink inside. Just be sure to stir them up and turn them every 15 minutes or so.
Karen Corso says
Thanks, Kelly, for your quick response!
Kelly Pugliano says
You bet! Thanks for trying out our recipe! 🙂
Amy says
how many people are you cooking for with this recipe? We are having a big party next weekend and love this recipe for a side dish!
Kelly Pugliano says
Hi Amy, In the post, I mention that I was preparing for 100 people. Toward the end of the post, you will see that I break this recipe down for different portions. If you have any other questions, let me know!
Yvette Christopher says
Can you brown and then freeze the sausages to just reheat in the electric roaster later? Or did you cook sausages for 100 on the same day?
Kelly Pugliano says
You could cook and freeze the sausage, however, I usually cook the entire dish the same day. If I am making ahead of time, I freeze all of it. Then I can just put in roaster a few hours before the party.
Karen says
I am making this for about 60 people and want to use my electric oven do you throw everything in there at once or do you brown your sausage first how many hours a head of time should I make this party is at 3
Kelly Pugliano says
Hi Karen,
Do you mean an electric Roasting Oven? I would brown the sausage first and then you can add everything together. If the party is at 3, I would start it around 1. Once the onions and peppers are soft, it is done. Then you can just keep warm. Have a great party!