Italian Sausage Sandwich with Bell Pepper and Onion Recipe

Ingredients

Italian Sausage Sandwiches:
4 Italian sausage buns
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 large each red and green bell pepper, seeds removed, thinly sliced from top to bottom
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
4 four-inch sweet Italian sausages
6 ounces Fontina cheese, sliced (optional)

Methods/Steps

Warm Buns: Wrap buns in foil and heat at 300ºF for 20 minutes.

Sauté Onions/Peppers: Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and peppers; sauté until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, sugar, fennel seeds and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and sauté until onions are deep brown and tender, about 15-20 minutes longer. You may need to add a little water if the bottom of the pan gets too brown.

Cook Sausage: While the vegetables are cooking, using a ridged grill pan or large skillet, grill the sausage lengths over medium-high heat, turning them once, for 3 minutes a side for all four sides, or until they are cooked through.

Assemble: Cut bun and open like a book. Halve sausage lengthwise. Arrange 2 sausage halves in each bun. Top sausages with caramelized onion and pepper mixture. Top with Fontina cheese slices and broil until melted and golden. Serve immediately.