Italian sausage and peppers are always such a great combination. It can be hard to figure out what to serve with them while preparing them at home.
It’s easy to reach for the bread, but you don’t want to miss out on some great alternatives!
Here are what to serve with Italian sausage and peppers. Suggest things you could serve with Italian sausage and peppers (or any other Italian-style meal).
These are also great alternatives if you’re following Paleo or low-carb diets!
1. French Fries
Next time you make a batch of fries, why not mix things up a little? Chop up some peppers, onions, and potatoes.
Coat them in oil and sprinkle them with salt (and other spices if desired) for an extra crunch. Serve these flavorful fries as a side dish or snack at your next cookout.
Also, French fries are great for using leftover baked potatoes from dinner. Add garlic powder or fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, and oregano for more flavor.
Looking for what to serve with Italian sausage and peppers? This tasty alternative can be seasoned any way you please. The possibilities really are endless when it comes to fries!
2. Onion Coleslaw
Coleslaw is a great side dish for any meal, but it’s also an excellent companion for what to serve with Italian sausage and peppers. This is because both of these foods are mildly sweet.
Cabbage slaw with diced onions will complement spicy or mildly seasoned sausages. You can chop up some onions and make your own coleslaw or simply grab a bag of premade coleslaw from your local supermarket.
To make a simple coleslaw recipe, add finely sliced green onions, sugar, salt, shredded cabbage (green or red), and olive oil to a large bowl. Toss well until everything is well coated.
Finally, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. Then serve to allow flavors to blend thoroughly.
Don’t overdo it on dressing, as you want that flavor to complement your dish instead of overpowering it. A little bit goes a long way here!
Serve alongside your favorite dishes or make sandwiches out of them. Do this if you’re planning on taking leftovers for lunch later on in the week.
3. Roasted Assorted Vegetables
The great thing about roasted vegetables is that you can use any kind of vegetable for them. Mix it up by using different colors, shapes, and textures. Zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, or even white potatoes work great here.
It’s also important not to over-season your veggies; salt draws out moisture from their cells and will dry them out as they roast. If you don’t have olive oil in your pantry already, it’s a must-have ingredient for roasting veggies.
4. Arugula Salad with Burrata
For a new twist on arugula, try burrata. Burrata is like mozzarella cheese—but way better. It’s filled with creamy, fresh mozzarella curds surrounded by fresh cream.
The end result is a bubbly, creamy ball of fresh cheesy goodness that goes perfectly with slightly bitter greens like arugula (also known as rocket).
To make an elegant appetizer or side dish for dinner, place a few big spoonfuls of burrata on top of some lightly dressed arugula leaves.
Finally, Sprinkle it generously with freshly cracked black pepper and some shaved parmesan cheese. Then drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the top. What to serve with Italian sausage and peppers is as simple as it seems.
5. Caramelized Onion Bread
Serve some warm slices of caramelized onion bread with your Italian sausages. This will give you a sweet balance to contrast against your spicier main course.
Also, you can purchase caramelized onion bread from almost any bakery, or you can make it yourself by slicing a loaf of French bread thickly and spreading onions on top before baking.
Either way, you’ll have an appetizer that tastes like Thanksgiving in June. Yum! To make this, slice the baguette lengthwise and lay it on a baking sheet.
Bake until golden brown and crunchy, 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet; cook onions frequently until they soften and turn translucent.
Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until onions are very tender but not browned.
Finally, sprinkle onions with flour; stir until well mixed; slowly add milk while stirring continuously.
6. Caesar Salad with Polenta Croutons
While you can use any type of polenta for these flavorful croutons, a hearty, coarse-ground whole-grain or organic polenta is best.
Soft yellow cornmeal simply won’t hold its shape as well in these croutons. This dish is an excellent accompaniment for what to serve with Italian sausage and peppers and traditional bratwurst.
You could also make it a main course by adding grilled chicken or shrimp atop each piece of bread.
7. Ancient Grains Risotto
An easy-to-make side dish for Italian sausages and peppers. Brown Arborio rice slowly in broth, then mix in your favorite cheese. Fresh herbs add a burst of flavor to an otherwise simple dish.
Also makes a great base for chicken, fish, or pork when served over rice as a main course. Mix Arborio rice into a stock that is kept hot over low heat.
Add chopped parsley, basil, thyme, or sage, grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, and salt and pepper if desired.
When done, spoon the risotto into bowls and top each bowl with sliced tomato, arugula leaves, or other greens (think spinach or kale), then thinly sliced onion. Be sure to get a great taste.
8. Corn Fritters
These little corn fritters can be eaten as a side dish or on their own. They’re really easy, and you only need five ingredients. You probably have everything you need to make them in your kitchen right now.
These are also gluten-free, so if you’re looking for a dish for people with allergies, these should do nicely! If corn is out of season, you could use frozen instead.
Just ensure they’re thawed properly before cooking them in the oil. If you don’t want deep to fry them, then they’d work just fine shallow fried in a pan instead.
9. Garlic Butter Rice
Garlic butter rice is an excellent option if you’re looking for what to serve with Italian sausage and peppers to spice up your white rice. This is an excellent choice.
To make garlic butter rice, you only need cooked rice, melted butter, cloves, minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
Mix these ingredients together in a saucepan on medium heat until everything is warm. Stir occasionally, so it doesn’t burn. This side dish goes great with pork chops or chicken parmesan.
10. Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn
For a savory side dish, you can’t go wrong with cornbread. This cornbread recipe is made from only 4 simple ingredients and is a great compliment to any meal.
Serve alongside your meat sauce for an amazing pairing. You can even make it ahead of time; just warm it up in a skillet or reheat it in an oven as needed.
11. Roasted Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower
Looking for what to serve with Italian sausage and peppers? Then try out coating cauliflower. To make this, simply follow these:
- Coat cauliflower in a thin layer of oil and place it on a baking sheet.
- Toss lightly in oil and arrange so that the pieces aren’t touching. The flavors are going to keep you coming back for more. Don’t skimp on it.
- Roast until tender and browned (about 30 minutes).
- Mix roasted garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, and salt in a small bowl.
- Remove from heat when roasting.
- Add cauliflower to the serving dish and toss with the roasted garlic mixture.
- Top with Parmesan cheese before serving. Enjoy!
12. Homemade Dinner Rolls
If you’re not already familiar, dinner rolls are basically a cross between garlic bread (so much butter!) and sandwich bread.
Typically, dinner rolls are hard on purpose. They don’t last as long as other loaves because they have more fat, making them tastier.
They go well with hearty soups or winter stews like vegetable beef. If you try to dip one in a bowl of sweet soup or stew, it’ll break down into crumbs too quickly.
In addition, to make rolls that aren’t so hard and store-bought tasting, use less fat (butter) when making dough.
If you want soft dinner rolls every day instead of just during special occasions, leave out half of your butter when making dough.
13. Jiffy Jalapeno Cornbread
Jiffy jalapeno cornbread is one of the best options when seeking what to serve with Italian sausage and peppers. The taste is one to try.
To make cornbread: Cook fresh or frozen corn on medium heat in a large frying pan with a little olive oil. Cook until lightly browned and sweet.
Remove from pan, let cool, and set aside. In a small bowl, mix flour, corn muffin mix, and baking soda; set aside.
14. Mashed Potato Cakes
Give this mashed potato cAke a try, as the taste gives delicious satisfaction. To make this: Chop your potato into small pieces in a food processor or using a knife if you prefer (do not put it through your blender).
In a medium-sized bowl, add your chopped-up potatoes. Now add your salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese.
Finally, mix it all together well until everything is covered in cheese. Ensure no dry spots are left, as they will burn very easily when baking. If needed, drizzle a little olive oil on top.
15. Tossed Green Salad
A simple green salad is all you need if you’re serving your sausage and peppers over pasta. Stick with greens like Romaine or Boston Lettuce for a crunchy texture that complements all of those soft ingredients.
You can add some shredded carrots for sweetness and top it off with your favorite dressing. Some good oil-based vinaigrettes would be light in flavor but creamy in texture, like our Sage-Lemon Vinaigrette or Avocado Ranch Dressing.
If you’re looking for what to serve with Italian sausage and peppers heartier, try making one of these must-try salad dressings: Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing, The Perfect Chimichurri, or Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette.
16. Roasted Red Potatoes
Serving potatoes as a side dish has never been easier. Simply line a baking sheet with foil, toss peeled red or Yukon gold potatoes in olive oil and freshly ground pepper, and roast at 425 degrees until golden brown on all sides.
Perfectly cooked spuds come out of your oven to crisp on the outside and are soft in the middle. This makes them absolutely delectable when paired with sausages from La Quercia.
However, If you’re serving an audience (your family, for example), feel free to double up on cooking space. Any leftovers can be heated up easily in a microwave later on!
17. Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese
It’s the perfect side dish recipe that everyone will love, even those picky eaters who don’t like macaroni and cheese!
To make this, mix dry macaroni, whole milk, salt, minced garlic, and ground black pepper in a crock pot. Cover.
Cook for about 2 hours on high or until creamy, stirring occasionally. Add shredded cheese, butter, and flour mixed with milk and another cheese. Stir until the sauce is smooth.
Add additional milk if needed to thin out the sauce. Cook for an hour or two more until it thickens and the cheese melts into it.
18. Oven Baked Potatoes
Whether you’re whipping up a holiday meal or getting ready for game day, these oven-baked potatoes are sure to please.
Great for a cold day, you can throw together dinner in about 15 minutes. All you need is potatoes, olive oil or butter, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary.
Start by placing your potato on a sheet pan cut-side down (so it doesn’t roll around), then drizzle on some olive oil or butter. Then add your seasonings of choice.
And bake them at 375 degrees for 40–60 minutes, depending on how large your potatoes are. Serve with a little more olive oil, salt, and pepper if desired.
This is an excellent side dish to any dinner when you want something simple but still flavorful and filling. Plus, roasted potatoes always seem fancier than boiled ones; they taste great, too, so why not try them?
19. Best Mashed Potatoes
This is one of my personal favorite side dishes. Even better, you can whip up a batch in no time. Try serving these along with a big salad and garlic bread for a great evening meal.
If you really want to add some flair, top them off with bacon crumbles. How can anyone go wrong with that?
Whip out that potato masher, then top them off with a little butter and chives or cheese. You can even roast your potatoes before mashing them, giving them extra flavor.
They are best when looking for what to serve with Italian sausage and peppers. You can serve immediately, so don’t forget to whip up an extra bowl.
20. Tomato and Onion Salad
Omit those store-bought deli-sliced onions for a fresh version that goes great on sandwiches. Mix halved grape tomatoes, chopped red onion, extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Toss together until well combined.
Finally, refrigerate for up to two days in an airtight container. Give this a try when hungry for what to serve with Italian sausage and peppers.
21. Buttermilk Cornbread
This Cornbread recipe is so good it’s almost hard to believe it is made from cornmeal. Buttermilk gives it a tangy twist that compliments all kinds of soups and stews.
You’ll also love how simple it is: Simply spread batter evenly into a 9-inch square nonstick baking pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle top with extra sugar if desired.
22. Creamy Cauliflower Garlic Rice
Simple, healthy, and absolutely delicious, you’ll love how this cauliflower rice recipe pairs perfectly with Italian sausage. If you like spicy food, feel free to add a dash of crushed red pepper flakes when cooking.
Also, this dish is Paleo-friendly if served as a side; it’s also Whole 30 compliant if made without cheese. Leftovers can be reheated in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes or until heated through.
23. Zucchini Casserole
While it’s summer, pick up a few extra zucchini at your local farmer’s market. Cook them down into an easy casserole recipe.
You’ll be glad you did later in winter when you’re craving something fresh and green but don’t want to spend too much time in your kitchen.
Don’t let zucchini’s delicate appearance fool you: it may look like a veggie for snooty tastes, but thanks to its neutral flavor, it works well in both sweet and savory dishes.
24. Sauteed Broccoli Rabe
For a heartier version of broccoli rabe, try tossing it in some olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt. Saute for about 10 minutes on medium-high heat until wilted.
Serve alongside your sausage dish for an extra veggie boost (and a little extra zing!).
Most stores carry chopped or whole heads of broccoli rabe, but you can also buy it fresh in season at farmers’ markets. At most grocery stores, you can also find pre-made packages of sauteed frozen broccoli rabe.
Conclusion
Italian sausage and peppers make an amazing dinner, but there’s nothing worse than cooking all of that amazing food and then realizing you don’t have anything to serve with it!
Now, I personally like serving Italian sausage and peppers with pasta, so I include it here as an option.
However, other delicious ways to serve this meal are worthy of consideration too! Hopefully, some of these ideas on what to serve with Italian sausage and peppers will help you to plan your next Italian sausage dinner!
