By March. The month that lies to your face — sixty-two Tuesday, twenty-eight Thursday. The daffodils are pushing up because daffodils are either brave or stupid, and in Kentucky those qualities are often the same thing.
Made fried potatoes and onions three times this week. Potatoes sliced thin, onions sliced thin, cast iron with bacon grease, lid on for ten minutes to steam, lid off for ten to crisp, salt and pepper. Betty made fried potatoes every Friday because Friday was the end of the paycheck and fried potatoes cost nothing and filled everything.
Travis called Monday. Big news — Jolene is pregnant. Due in April. My son is going to be a father and I am going to be a grandfather and the sentence doesn't fit in my mouth right. Travis sounded nervous the way men sound nervous when they've done something irreversible and wonderful. I said it'll be alright. He said how do you know. I said because you had me for a father and I had Earl for a father and we both turned out, and turning out is the family tradition.
Told Connie. She cried. Told Betty. She said about time, that boy's been married two years. Betty measures life in the distance between events that should've happened sooner. By my math, Travis is exactly on time.
After Travis called and Connie cried and Betty said “about time,” I needed something that matched the size of the moment — something with more heft than fried potatoes, something that felt like a celebration even if I was too stunned to plan one. Italian sausage hoagies are what Betty would’ve made when there was actually something to mark, peppers and onions going soft in the same cast iron, the whole house smelling like a Friday that turned into something better. A grandfather needs a bigger pan.
Italian Sausage Hoagies
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 links Italian sausage (sweet or hot, your call)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
- 1 large green bell pepper, sliced thin
- 1 large red bell pepper, sliced thin
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 hoagie rolls, split
- 1 cup marinara sauce, warmed
- 4 slices provolone cheese
Instructions
- Brown the sausage. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or heavy pan over medium heat. Add sausage links and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 15–18 minutes. Transfer to a plate and slice on the diagonal or leave whole.
- Soften the peppers and onions. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly caramelized, about 8–10 minutes. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes if using. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 1 minute more.
- Toast the rolls. Set oven broiler to high. Place split hoagie rolls cut-side up on a baking sheet and broil 1–2 minutes until lightly golden. Watch them — they go fast.
- Assemble. Spoon a little marinara onto each roll. Lay a sausage link (or slices) in each roll. Top with the pepper and onion mixture, then lay a slice of provolone over the top.
- Melt the cheese. Return assembled hoagies to the broiler for 1–2 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately with extra marinara on the side for dipping.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 580 | Protein: 26g | Fat: 32g | Carbs: 48g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 1140mg