Grilled Sausage Grinders (Printable Version)
Grilled sausages in crusty rolls topped with smoky charred tomato sauce — a hearty summer cookout favorite.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 4 Italian sausages, mild or hot
→ Bread
02 - 4 hoagie rolls or grinder rolls
→ Vegetables
03 - 4 ripe tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 small red onion, sliced into thick rings
05 - 1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
06 - 2 garlic cloves, peeled
→ Dairy
07 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, optional
08 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional
→ Spices and Condiments
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
12 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
13 - Salt and black pepper to taste
14 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish, optional
# How To Make It:
01 - Set your outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan to medium-high heat and allow it to reach full temperature before cooking.
02 - Brush the tomato halves, onion rings, bell pepper quarters, and garlic cloves generously with olive oil on all sides to ensure even charring.
03 - Place the Italian sausages on the hot grill and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until fully cooked through with a nicely charred exterior.
04 - While the sausages cook, grill the tomatoes cut side down along with the onion, bell pepper, and garlic for 5 to 7 minutes per side until charred and softened throughout.
05 - Transfer all grilled vegetables to a food processor or blender. Add the dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes, and season with salt and black pepper. Pulse until a chunky, rustic sauce forms.
06 - Split the hoagie rolls open and place them face down on the grill for 1 to 2 minutes until golden and lightly crisp.
07 - Arrange the grilled sausages on the toasted rolls and spoon a generous amount of the grilled tomato sauce over each one. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan if desired.
08 - Place the assembled grinders back on the grill, close the lid, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly.
09 - Remove from the grill, garnish with fresh basil leaves, and serve immediately while hot.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The charred tomato sauce tastes like you spent all day on it, but the whole thing comes together in under an hour.
- Everything, sausages, sauce, even the rolls, cooks on one grill, which means almost zero cleanup.
02 -
- Do not move the tomatoes too early when grilling cut side down, they need uninterrupted contact with the grate to develop that deep char that makes the sauce special.
- If your sauce tastes flat after blending, a tiny splash of red wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon will wake everything up instantly.
03 -
- Use a grill basket for the garlic cloves and onion rings if they keep slipping through the grates, it saves you from the tragedy of losing them to the coals.
- Let the sauce sit for ten minutes before serving because the flavors marry and deepen as it cools slightly, making it taste like it simmered for hours.