Vegan Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers
Plant-based sausages roast alongside peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes, and garlic for a hearty vegan take on the classic sandwich.
Serves4
Prep20 minutes
Cook20 minutes to 25 minutes
A few weeks ago, I made an absolutely irresistible batch of lentil sloppy Joes (look for the recipe in Ali Slagle’s upcoming cookbook!), and I’ve been on a sandwich kick ever since. What other classic sandwiches could I veganize? The answer came to me quickly, as I’m borderline obsessed with Beyond Meat’s hot Italian dinner sausages: a plant-based take on sausage and peppers.
Because sandwiches should be quick, fun, and as stress-free as possible, I opted for the hands-off sheet pan route: Toss peppers, onions, garlic, and cherry tomatoes with olive oil and seasonings, top with bite-sized pieces of plant-based sausage, then roast until the sausage is browned, the peppers are tender, and the tomatoes are starting to burst. Stir in the pepperoncinis and their brine, add hoagie rolls to the baking sheet, and broil until the buns are toasted. The result? Saucy, savory homemade sandwiches with very little work from you.
A Sheet Pan Dinner for Any Type of Eater
Like most Kitchn recipes, I encourage you to adapt this one to your liking to create a dinner your family will devour. Serving meat-lovers? Swap in uncooked regular sweet or hot Italian sausages for the plant-based ones. Craving some cheese? Top the filled subs with shredded mozzarella, then return to the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and melty. Gluten-free eaters can get in on the action, too. Swap in gluten-free rolls, or skip the bread altogether. The sheet pan mixture is fantastic spooned over polenta or rice.
Don’t sleep on the leftovers, either. While you can certainly go for round two on sandwiches, you can also toss the mixture with pasta, use it as a topping for pizza or flatbreads, mix it into a breakfast frittata, or stuff it into a tortilla for tacos. Let me know what you make in the comments!
Whether you eat plant-based full-time or want to go meat-free once a week, Tonight We Veg will bring you the feel-good vegetarian meals you crave. Twice a month, in addition to our existing lineup of great veggie recipes, we’ll share easy weeknight recipes that prove how diverse produce-forward food can be, each packed with smart tips we’ve picked up over the years. Cook along with us, and share your creations using #tonightweveg.
Vegan Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers
Plant-based sausages roast alongside peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes, and garlic for a hearty vegan take on the classic sandwich.
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 20 minutes to 25 minutes
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 3
large red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, or a combination (1 1/2 pounds total)
- 1
medium red onion
- 4 cloves
garlic
- 1 pint
cherry or grape tomatoes (10 to 11 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons
olive oil
- 1 1/4 teaspoons
kosher salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons
dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
- 13 to 16 ounces
plant-based hot or sweet Italian sausage, such as Beyond Meat
- 6 large or 10 small
pickled pepperoncinis
- 2 tablespoons
pickled pepperoncini brine (from the jar)
- 4
(6- to 8-inch) split hoagie or sub rolls
Instructions
Arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds and heat the oven to 450°F.
Prepare the following, adding each to a rimmed baking sheet as you complete it: Seed and thinly slice 3 large bell peppers (about 4 cups). Thinly slice 1 medium red onion (about 2 cups). Thinly slice 4 garlic cloves.
Add 1 pint cherry tomatoes to the baking sheet. Drizzle everything with 2 tablespoons olive oil, then sprinkle with 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Toss to coat and spread the mixture into an even layer.
Remove the casings from 1 pound plant-based hot or sweet Italian sausages if needed. Use your hands to pinch off bite-sized pieces of the sausage and drop over the veggies.
Roast on the lower rack, stirring halfway through, until the sausage is browned and cooked through, the peppers are tender, and the skins of the tomatoes are just starting to split, 20 to 25 minutes total. Meanwhile, thinly slice 6 large pepperoncinis (about 1/2 cup).
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn on the broiler. Add the sliced pepperoncinis and 2 tablespoons pepperoncini brine to the baking sheet and toss to coat. Push the mixture to one half of the baking sheet and line the other half with aluminum foil. Place 4 hoagie rolls on the foil (do not split them open yet).
Broil on the upper rack until the rolls are toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Split the buns and divide the veggie and sausage mixture between them to serve.
Recipe Notes
Mild and/or kid-friendly version: Use sweet Italian sausages and omit the red pepper flakes and pepperoncinis. Use red wine vinegar in place of the pepperoncini brine.
Substitutions: 1 medium yellow onion or 2 large shallots can be used in place of the red onion.
Storage: Leftovers (without the rolls) can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.