Again I am flattered to have won. Many of the entries were just off the hook and frankly a bit more complex than mine. My mantra on cooking the last few months has leaned towards simplicity and using what's on hand while not sacrificing flavor. I had planned on doing some sausage patties with peppers and onions when the Throwdown was announced. I decided to alter the plan and do it in soup form. Other than fennel and some fresh green peppers I had all the other items on hand. I've been doing soups all winter and freezing a lot for enjoyment later. Love being able to just thaw them out on a cold day. Well here we go with a loose overview of the recipe / process. Time to put the 17" Lodge to work. First up 6 lbs of bulk Italian sausage from our local Savealot. Price is often $1.99 / lbs. I stock the freezer with it but it's very bland so fix that. Browning it here with 3T added fennel seed and 1t cayenne.
Once this was browned and minced well I removed it from the grease and set aside. The sausage is pretty lean so I did not discard the fat but rather added 5 green diced green peppers, 2 diced medium sweet onions and 2 bags of frozen onions and peppers from Walmart.
In the big pot I added 4 15 oz cans of tomato sauce, 12 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes, 16 oz can tomato paste and 19 cups of Minors chicken stock Note a nice big blob of tomato landed on my scratch paper as I worked on the cooking. This may have been 16 cups lol. Start there maybe and add 3 more to taste. Spices added 3T Italian seasoning, 1T Oregano, 1T garlic powder ,1t ground fennel, 2t MSG , salt and pepper to taste.
I simmered this on low all afternoon. Yield was about 16 quarts. Feedback from the little circle who acquires food from me and also freebie giveaways was very positive. I will add that it freezes very well. I've already thawed a quart for lunches. Here are two shots plated up with Keto Rosemary Garlic Parm Biscuits.
To me and those who tried it really captures the essence of a sausage and peppers sandwich in a bowl. I will link the biscuits in a comment below. Again not complex but very tasty. Thanks for looking!
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