Italian-American Sausage Patty Melts

From Rachael Ray

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2  italian sweet  sausage patties (1/2 lb.) or 2  italian hot  sausage patties (1/2 lb.)
• 1⁄2 bell pepper, thinly sliced (or 1 cubanelle pepper, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced)
• 1⁄2 small onion, thinly sliced
•  salt
•  fresh ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 4  slices  Italian bread (thin slices)
• 4  slices provolone cheese (deli-sliced)
• 1  cup  marinara sauce or 1  cup  pizza sauce or 1  cup tomato sauce

Directions

1. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over med-high heat.
2. Add in 1 tablespoon olive oil and the sausage patties.
3. Cook the patties 4 minutes on each side; then remove from the pan.
4. Add another tablespoon olive oil to the pan; then add the bell peppers, onions, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes.
5. Cook about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but still have a bite to them.
6. Pile the veggies on the patties and return pan to the stove.
7. Add butter to the pan; let butter melt.
8. Add 2 slices bread, top each with a slice of cheese, a sausage patty, some peppers and onions, another slice of cheese, then the remaining slices of bread.
9. Press and cook patty melts 2 or 3 minutes on each side.
10. Warm a cup of marinara sauce, pizza sauce, or tomato sauce in the microwave (1 ½ minutes on HIGH).
11. Cut sandwiches corner to corner and serve with sauce for dipping.