Meaty Monday: Sausage & Peppers Bachelor Style

It has been a tough couple of weeks at work. Lotsa hours and not much time to cook; any time I've had free I've been pickling (fermenting) the last pickings from the veg garden. Meanwhile, Chuck has been waxing poetic about the foods he used to cook for himself before we met, and finally, this week, he made his version of sausage and peppers for his work-weary wife (me). It is SO good having a husband who can cook. He always tells me about so many things he cooked as a bachelor, but after nearly 9 years of marriage, I've tasted very few of them. Maybe I'm a little overbearing in the kitchen?  ….nah.

I know the stewed tomatoes and the single pepper would make my Italian forebears roll in their graves, and although this dish is far from authentic, it IS a very good, family pleasing dish that is even better made in advance and reheated to serve. Make it some lazy Sunday to reheat for your own Meaty Monday. Or better yet, get your mate to make it while you nap… I love it; and I love it that he made it for ME.

Note: This one will be a winner with kids as it stands, with its simple clean flavors. If you like a spunkier dish, use hot Italian sausage, a clove or two of chopped garlic, and a couple of additional bell peppers. This is juicy, not saucy, so its best served over crusty bread or soft polenta. Parm or Romano on top never hurts either. Please remember this is an Americanized version of the traditional Italian American dish, so feel free to adjust it to your family's tastes.

Sausage & Peppers Bachelor Style

Sausage & Peppers Bachelor Style

6 hearty servings

2 lb. Italian-style pork sausage, cut in 1" pieces

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3 cans Del Monte stewed tomatoes, traditional or Italian style

1 medium onion, diced

1 bell pepper, any color, sliced lengthwise

1/2 teaspoon dry oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

In a  4 qt. covered sauté pan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat, and add the onion and pepper and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the sausage and cook until browned. If there is more than  3T of fat in the pan, spoon it off, and discard.

Add the stewed tomatoes and the oregano and garlic powder, and simmer 40 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and / or pepper to taste.