Easy Sausage and Peppers

Preheat the oven to 400 F for a quicker dinner, or 375 F if you are cooking for a party.

Spray a 9×13 or larger roasting pan (a dark pan is ideal for caramelizing) with cooking spray. Prepare the peppers by rinsing and patting them dry with a paper towel. Cut a circle around the stems to remove them. Cut each pepper in half and remove the seeds and membranes. Cut the halves in half again. Then slice each one into strips about 1/2 inch wide.

Prepare the onions by cutting off the ends, peeling off the skin, and cutting the onions in half. Then cut each half into vertical slices that are about 1/2 inch wide.

If you are making the sausage for a party, cut each sausage in half horizontally to make smaller portions. Place the sausages in a single layer in the pan. Add the peppers, then add the onions.
Drizzle olive oil on each row of sausage. Lightly sprinkle salt on each row. Then sprinkle on pepper and garlic powder, again being sure to season every row.

If using a 400 F oven, bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes total, turning over the sausage and stirring around the vegetables after 30 minutes. The sausage should be browned on the bottom before you turn them over. If using a 375 F oven, bake uncovered for 90 minutes total, turning over the sausage and stirring the vegetables after about 50 minutes, again waiting for the sausages to brown on the bottom before turning them over.

Since ovens vary, be sure to check on the sausage and peppers a couple of times during baking to see if you need to stir them around. Test for doneness by cutting a sausage in half. It should no longer be pink inside.

Serve with fresh Italian bread or on hoagies.