Shelly's Recipe

OPEN FACED SAUSAGE, 3 PEPPER AND ONION SANDWICHES WITH PROVOLONE

Category: Sandwiches

1 large loaf ciabatta bread
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 portabella mushroom caps
1 onion, halved and sliced
2 cubanelle peppers, seeded and sliced
1 red chile pepper, thinly sliced
2 large cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 cup chicken stock or water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound Italian hot or sweet or combination of both sausages in red sauce from make-ahead meal earlier in week (browned sausages simmered in tomato sauce with stock), recipe follows
12 ounces sharp provolone cheese, shredded
A small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

If you are cooking a make-ahead meal with bread that will not be used for a couple of days, place it in the freezer in an airtight bag or wrap well. Unwrap to defrost at room temperature and then crust in a warm oven.

Meanwhile, heat a couple of tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, cubanelle peppers, chile pepper, and garlic to tender-crisp, 5 minutes more.

Note: Do not salt the onions and peppers as it will draw more liquids out and we are undercooking a bit for a make-ahead meal.

Cool and store the mushroom mixture. To reheat the mushroom mixture: Add a splash of stock or water over medium heat and season with salt and pepper.

To reheat the sausages: Add a splash of stock or water to the sausages to loosen the sauce. Add a ladle of sauce to the mushroom pan.

Preheat the oven to 375. Split the bread horizontally then halve into 4 large pieces. Arrange the bread pieces on cooling racks set over baking sheets to allow the heat to circulate all around the bread. Halve the sausages lengthwise. Dot the bread with sauce, top with the sausages cut-side-down, dot with more sauce and top with peppers and cheese. Bake the bread 12 to 15 minutes, or until melted and brown at the edges. Garnish with parsley and serve.