Sheet Pan Sausage with Peppers and Onions

## A Classic Made Effortless Sausage and peppers is one of those timeless Italian-American dishes that people have been making for generations, and for good reason. The combination of savory, seasoned sausage with sweet roasted peppers and onions is deeply satisfying in a way that far exceeds what you might expect from such a simple list of ingredients. Traditionally it is made in a skillet, but moving it to a sheet pan makes the whole process practically effortless. With just five minutes of prep, you slice some peppers and onions, toss everything on a pan, and let the oven do all the work. There is no standing over a hot stove, no spattering grease, and no constant stirring. You slide the pan in, set a timer, and come back to a fully cooked dinner that fills the entire kitchen with an incredible aroma. ## The Secret to Perfect Roasted Sausage One common mistake is to cut the sausage into rounds before roasting. While that approach works, keeping the links whole gives you a juicier result. The casing holds in all the flavorful juices during cooking, and when you finally bite through that snap of the casing, you get a burst of flavor that sliced rounds simply cannot match. If you prefer hot sausage, by all means use it. The heat pairs wonderfully with the sweetness of the roasted peppers. Many stores also carry a mild and hot combo pack, which gives you the best of both worlds and lets everyone at the table choose their preferred heat level. Turning the sausages halfway through cooking ensures they brown evenly on all sides. You want a deep, golden-brown exterior, which means resisting the urge to crowd the pan. Give everything room to breathe and the high oven heat will work its magic. ## Why This Is a Budget Hero Italian sausage is one of the most affordable proteins available, often costing just three to four dollars per pound. Bell peppers and onions round out the meal for very little, and you likely already have olive oil and seasonings on hand. The total cost for four generous servings comes in around eight to nine dollars, and that includes the optional hoagie rolls. If you want to stretch it even further, slice the cooked sausage and peppers and fold them into scrambled eggs the next morning, or toss them with cooked pasta and a little marinara sauce for a completely different meal. One batch of sausage and peppers can easily fuel two or three different dishes throughout the week. ## Serving Suggestions The classic way to serve this is on a hoagie roll as a sausage and pepper sub. Toast the rolls briefly in the oven during the last minute or two of cooking for the best texture. Top with a spoonful of marinara sauce or a drizzle of hot giardiniera if you like a kick. For a lighter option, skip the bread and serve the sausage and peppers over a bed of creamy polenta. The soft, buttery polenta soaks up the juices from the sausage and peppers and turns this into something that feels downright elegant. Mashed potatoes work similarly well. ## Storage and Meal Prep This recipe reheats beautifully, making it an excellent candidate for meal prep. Cook a batch on Sunday and portion it out for quick lunches during the week. The flavors actually improve after a day in the fridge as the seasonings have more time to meld together. A skillet reheat is ideal since it can restore some of the caramelized texture that the microwave tends to soften.