I love to cook, especially foods that I can make for parties and gatherings. Boyfriend and I watch a lot of sports around here. We live in Pittsburgh, so the Steelers and Penguins are family! Sometimes we will invite friends and family members to watch the games with us. One of my favorite recipes for game day is simple and easy to make – just throw it in a crock pot and you’re done . Let the vessel do this. Here’s how to make my favorite Italian Beef Sandwiches in the Slow Cooker.
First, you need to make sure you have everything ready to go. For sausages, I buy the Silver Star brand. They sell them in packs of 6, buy packs of 2, 1 hot and 1 sweet. Of course, if your grocery has another brand of sausages on sale during the week, by all means buy that brand. In the results section, select 2-3 bell peppers of your choice. I like 1 green, 1 red and 1 yellow, color only. I have been known to do this with all the green peppers because they were on sale that week. It doesn’t matter, only 2 or 3 peppers.
Next, you will need 1 large onion. Again, the color does not matter in this case. I like to use white onions, because that’s the kind I usually buy to use in other recipes. Next, buy 2 packages of pre-divided mushrooms. My friend and I love mushrooms, so I use them a lot. With any of the above, you can use as many as you want. If you like onions, use 3, if you don’t like onions at all, you don’t need to add them. It is addressed to you. Peppers, onions and mushrooms make a great combination when you put them in a soft hoagie roll covered with ham, sauce and cheese. YUM! The last 3 items need hoagie rolls tomato-sauce and mozzarella or provolone cheese.
Instead of hoagie rolls, I buy them fresh from the bakery. Most of the time, you’ll find packages of 6. When you make 12 sausages, buy 12 rolls. In fact, I have a lot of twists and turns. The variety you use is up to you and your taste. It will be surprising if you find any brand called “Italian Sausage” or a similar variety. I usually use Prego or Ragu. If you want to use the sauce straight from the can, I would throw some seasonings in the sauce too – like garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and oregano (these are my choices). For cheese, you can buy high-quality cheese in a bag, like Kraft and Sargento sell, or buy a piece of cheese and cut it up. Mozzarella and/or Provolone cheese is best used in this recipe because they are the most popular cheeses used in Italy.
Now it’s time for the recipe. It is important to remember that you do not preheat the cooking pot if you put cold food in it. The sausages will be cold, so keep the crock pot upside down until the sausages are inside. Open and take the seeds from the peppers, and cut each pepper into strips. Say onion. If you buy pre-cut mushrooms, you don’t need to cut them. Cut the whole mushrooms several times.
In the bottom of a slow cooker, pour over 1 cup of tomato sauce. My trick is not to cook the sausages in any sauce, and I’ll tell you why later. Then put 6 sausages in a slow cooker, with pepper, mushrooms and onion. Layer with the remaining 6 sausages, and the rest of the peppers, mushrooms and onions. Put a slow cooker lid on, turn the knob on high, and cook for about 3-4 hours, or until the sausages are fully Cooked vegetables are tender.
The last step is to heat the tomato sauce in a small pan over low heat. Guests will be able to place their own sauce on the hoagie roll. Why would I do that? I found that when you cook the sausages in the sauce, the sauce becomes too watery. It is much better to serve it separately. Roll the hoagie and cut in half lengthwise. Sometimes I put the buns under the broiler for a minute or 2 just to get them lightly toasted. This is optional.
Now it’s time to eat! Let the guests choose what type of sausage they choose from the crock pot – not all are hot, not all sweet; Therefore, buy both. It’s fun to make a buffet out of this. Everything went on the stove and stove. Buns on a tray, cheese alum in a bowl, gravy on the stove, sausages on a slow stove. With this recipe for football, I use my football-shaped dish for the cube, because I like to arrange it. with the theme of the party. Guests can make their own sandwiches – placing everything right inside the bun. It can also take a mess, make sure you have plenty of towels available!
Try this delicious recipe at your next game of the day. It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser. Enjoy!
