A humble but deeply delicious breakfast, the peppers and eggs sandwich is a staple in Italian American cuisine.
We often think of eggs as a very American breakfast staple. And I’m not saying that they’re not. But some of my most cherished food memories from the Italian side of my family actually revolve around the humble egg. A while back I posted this recipe for this simple potato frittata, one of my Italian American grandfather’s favorite quick lunches. And re-making it recently got me to thinking about other staple Italian American breakfasts, like this Italian peppers and eggs sandwich. It’s simple and exactly what it sounds like. Peppers (usually green bell or “Italian frying peppers) mixed into creamy scrambled eggs, more often that not with gooey mozzarella cheese, and piled atop a roll. It’s simple, but deeply delicious, and the perfect easy breakfast.
AN ITALIAN AMERICAN STAPLE
There’s a scene from The Sopranos that I’ll always remember where they’re passing out sandwiches from a breakfast run and Junior (one of the main characters) says “Peppers and eggs? That’s what I shoulda got.” The Sopranos probably isn’t the best representation of Italian American culture (obviously we’re not all in the mafia). But there are a few moments or scenes in the show (like Tony naming his cat “Baciagaloop”) that make me say “my grandfather used to say/do that!” And it makes me realize that so many of the things I grew up doing and saying (things that my non-Italian American friends couldn’t relate to) I thought were specific to just my family. But they’re actually part of the huge culture of Italian Americans.
And the peppers and eggs sandwich is one such thing. It’s thought that Italian American immigrants originally brought the peppers and eggs sandwich to Chicago along with the Italian beef sandwich. Since most Italian Americans (being Catholic) don’t eat meat on Fridays during Lent, the owners of these Italian beef shops needed something they could still serve up on Friday. The peppers and eggs sandwich fit the bill perfectly. Others say that it originated in Philadelphia, where the Philly cheesesteak shops would have had the same no-meat-on-Friday problem. But today you can find the peppers and eggs sandwich served up at pretty much any Italian deli, along with pizza shops and bodegas all over any American city.
DON’T MESS WITH TRADITION
I spent a while looking into the history of the peppers and eggs sandwich, and perusing other recipes for it all over the internet. And while many people make it in many different ways, I noticed a trend. Most said that in order to truly be considered an Italian peppers and eggs, this sandwich needs to be made with green peppers (green bell or Italian frying peppers) and served on a roll. And that doesn’t surprise me. As Italian Americans, we’re deeply protective of our heritage and our recipes. We want our dishes to taste and look exactly as they did when our grandparents made them.
But if you ask me, that’s not what Italian American cuisine is all about. You’ll see from my photos that I didn’t serve my peppers and eggs on a roll, I served it on hearty slices of bread. And that’s not because I want to buck tradition, but for one very simple reason. Because that’s what I had on hand. If anything I think that “make what you have on hand” mentality is one of the defining attributes of Italian American cuisine. Most of our grandparents and great grandparents didn’t have much when they came here from Italy, and the recipes that have come to define our culture were born of making them making the best with what they had.
And this peppers and eggs sandwich is proof of that. It was born in Italian beef and Philly cheesesteak shops when they needed a vegetarian sandwich option and already had an abundance of peppers. So the next time you have peppers laying around or leftover from another recipe, take a cue from your (or my) Italian grandparents and don’t let anything go to waste. Try this simple yet deeply satisfying peppers and eggs sandwich.
Italian Peppers and Eggs Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 bell pepper, or 2-3 cubanelle peppers
- 1/2 onion (optional)
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
- 4 large eggs
- splash of milk or cream
- olive oil
- rolls or bread for serving
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Slice the peppers into strips and then rough chop the strips. If using an onion, finely dice it.
- In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, saute the peppers (and onions, if using) in an ample amount of olive oil until softened and beginning the brown/char, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- While the peppers are cooking, whisk the eggs with a splash of heavy cream or milk and season with salt and pepper.
- Once the peppers are cooked, reduce the heat to medium low and add the whisked eggs to the pan. Stir until set slightly, about three minutes, and then add the shredded mozzarella cheese. Continue to cook until the cheese is melted and the eggs are done to your liking.
- Serve the eggs up on a soft roll, or whatever bread you have, and enjoy!
Not just grandparents it was my mom!
And most Italians didn’t use mozzarella or onions.
Just peppers and eggs salt and pepper on a roll and wrapped in aluminum foil for the beach.
Long Branch, Atlantic City etc. for North Jersey
And Wildwood sea isle etc for Philadelphia Italians
Mozzarella?
Not
No no Cheese and onion .Gets in the way and changes it.- both parents from Philly. . These would be rolled up in foil to eat on the way to school. The steam unleashed when we would unwrap them. Wow.Best breakfast you can make in 15 min. for under a dollar.
Interesting! There are so many versions of this sandwich, I love knowing how people from different parts of American remember it!