Skillet Sausage

I love grilling the homemade sausage my dad made for maximum charred smokey goodness, but that's not feasible half of the year.

That's ok, because cooking them in a skillet is almost as tasty!

Bring a medium skillet up to heat and add just a touch of oil. Brown both sides of the sausage (this was the sweet Italian links) on medium high until they get a nice color. Then turn the heat to medium, add about a half of a cup of water, and cover the pan. Let cook for about 10 minutes on each side, then drain off the water. Leave the lid off and let both sides crisp up again a few minutes on each.

My dad also showed me this trick while he was here. It works for the grill or the oven. Wash a whole green pepper and rub with a little bit of oil. Cook for about 20-30 minutes, flipping a few times until the entire pepper is tender. Cut in half, remove the seeds and stem and pull off any loose skin. Ohhh man, this is so delicious, it steams itself and is so tender and juicy.

I never fully appreciated green peppers until I moved here and had the option of adding "sweet peppers" to sandwiches at local eateries. Chicagoans really know how to treat the green pepper! During Lent there is a pepper and egg sandwich that will knock your socks off. I'd never heard of this before living here and the first year I thought it meant an egg with black pepper on it! Boy was I mistaken. Scrambled eggs, these sweet green peppers, melted, gooey cheese, all on a big crusty roll... can it get any better?

Oh. Sorry ... back to the sausage!


After letting it rest for a few minutes, I cut three of the links on a bias for Johnny and me to split between us. I love smelling this sausage as it cooks, it's such a familiar scent in my memory!

These were served alongside Laura's cheesy cabbage I've made once before. It has definitely reached "staple" level at our house. Generations to come in my family will hear about the wonderful Queen of All and her magnificant dish!

Everybody all together now! "Cheeeeese!"


If you guys haven't tried this cabbage dish yet, you really need to. My cousin, Anne-Marie tried it out, but with a twist!

Instead of cooking just the cabbage as a side dish, her recipe made a more substantial main dish by adding potatoes, onions, and other spices!