... or as we call them in New York: Saw-sage and peppuhs.
Now, normally you'd never serve these in a quesadilla. Sausage and Peppers are supposed to be served in a nice loaf of Italian bread. Once, I was in the supermarket with Jack and he asked me if he needed to get hot dog buns for the sausage and peppers. Horrified, I exclaimed "Hot dog buns!? Who does that? That's an abomination. Don't ever suggest something like that again!"
I knew I was justified in my horror when the woman besides us looked at us and started laughing a knowing laugh. She knew. You would never do such a thing. Horrible.
So I know I'm slightly bastardizing sausage and peppers as we know it. But I wanted to make this a good party food, and frankly, sauage and peppers can be a meal in itself. And with all of the other foods that clog our arteries grace our tables on Super Bowl Sunday, I wanted to make this a fun, shareable dish.
At first, I tried these with just sausage, peppers and caramelized onions between two tortillas. While delicious, there was something amiss. The tortillas really didn't adhere to the sausage and peppers the way most quesedillas do. And then I realized something was missing. Cheese.
Now, normally, you wouldn't add cheese to Sausage and Peppers (unless you're at the San Gennaro feast in Little Italy and ordering a Philly-Cheesesteak Style Sausage and Peppers, where they add cheese). But in this case, it really needed something to make this whole dish come together. So I added mozzarella. And BAM. There it was. Perfection.
I also learned another lesson from this. I think... I THINK... that quesedillas are always supposed to have cheese. Because queso means "cheese" right? Quesedilla? Cheese...dilla? Until now, I had never realized that.
I know. I know. Laugh if you must. I deserve it.
I ALSO JUST REALIZED SOMETHING! This dish is super New York! So I dedicate it to the Giants!
You're welcome, Eli.
Sausage and Pepper Quesedilla
Makes 4 Quesedillas
4 Hot Italian Sausages
4 Peppers, sliced
4 Onions, sliced into 1" rings
1 cup shredded mozzarella Cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent. Lower heat to medium low and cook until caramelized, stirring often so they don't burn, about 20 minutes. Add peppers and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes over medium low heat until peppers are tender and onions are beautifully caramelized. Remove from heat.
In a separate skillet, cook sausages until cooked through, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool. When sausage has cooled enough to handle, carefully slice into 1" rounds. Add to peppers and onions.
Heat a clean, medium skillet over medium high heat.
Arrange 1/4 of sausage, pepper, and onion mix on one tortilla and top with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Top with another tortilla. Place on skillet and cook for 2 minutes, or until tortilla is gold brown. Press down slightly with a spatula to make sure cheese is melting. Flip and repeat on the other side.
Repeat to create three more quesadillas. Cut into quarters and serve immediately. Root for the Giants.
