I don’t know exactly when this humble sandwich had it’s beginning, but I’ve been eating this since I was a little kid. It’s usually offered primarily during the Lenten season in many of the Italian beef stands here in Chicago land, and on Friday’s, as an alternative to meat. Yes, way back when, the Catholic religion had a “no meat on Friday” rule and I think that’s how this sandwich all came about. I have to admit, even though I can find this sandwich close to where I live, and in some places it’s on the menu all year long, my favorite place to get this is right out of my own kitchen!!
Why? you might ask? Because I always think it taste’s blah there, never enough seasoning, you know, salt pepper, Romano! you can’t be skimpy with the ingredients!! It’s all about the flavor! the blending of the olive oil with the scrambled eggs and cheese, oh, and you must have good crusty bread, none of that white spongy stuff will do here!
With that being said, here’s how you put it all together… Saute your sliced peppers in olive oil that have been seasoned with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic, till tender not mushy. Next, scramble up some eggs that have been seasoned with salt, pepper, and a generous amount of Romano cheese, don’t be skimpy on the cheese, this is what makes it so good!! Pour it all over your peppers till it sets up. Place it in some crusty bread, and if you like hot stuff like I do, a little Hot Giardiniera to top it off!!
It’s warm, satisfying, and beats a cold sandwich any day!!!
Buon Appetito!!
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
what is the Italian name for this sandwich is it giambota?
Jim, we’ve always called it peppper and egg, I’ll have to check that out!
A huge classic. BUT. The traditional pepper is not a bell pepper but a CUBANELLE PEPPER.
Not in Chicago!
My Irish American mother taught me how to make egg and pepper sandwiches. She dated an Italian guy when she was younger who taught her how to make it. I love the simplicity of it, yet it’s still so flavorful! Now I live in China, where people also cook up simple egg-and-pepper stir-fries. One technique I’ve picked up here is to fry the eggs first and set them aside on a plate while cooking the peppers. When the peppers are soft and bright, add the eggs just long enough to mix and warm, and chop them uo with the spatula into nice big chunks. Cooking some sliced onion along with the pepper, and using a green pepper and a red pepper sliced and mixed together also really ups the flavor and the presentation! Unfortunately, China, unlike my native Philadelphia, has no romano cheese, gardiniera, or the amazing rustic Italian bread rolls necessary for the sandwich, but I make do with what I have!
It sounds like you did good with what you had Tim but when you come home to Philly you can enjoy the bread, romano and good gardiniera!
It’s Ash Wednesday so this is my dinner for tonite. Have just discovered your website and I love it. Thanks for the memories.
Hi Angie, welcome, Peppers and eggs, my favorite!
Anonymous, Do the grated parm then, it will be fine!
does it HAVE to be romano?? i only have american, grated parm, mozz & ricotta
@The Proud Italian Cook,
I too can relate to an Italian hertiage. Our Lenten dishes many times included eggs as a substitute for meat or poultry. I loved making an egg, pepper and tomato scramble and I agree with you about needing fresh ingredients and good Parmesan Reggiano cheese. Your sandwich is similiar except for the addition of fresh tomatoes.
Aw, heck yeah– I grew up in the Chicago area and had plenty of Italian friends. As a kid, I was served this sandwich at their homes during Lent and so it was a fixture from my growing-up days. The Giardiniera was a must!
Now I’m living in the Dallas area and Giardiniera is almost impossible to find here, away from the specialty grocers. I found some and bought a couple of jars just to keep on hand.
When I went through them, and was craving a P&E “sammy”, I went to my garden and harvested some nice poblano peppers– and instead of using the Italian cheeses, I went with Cheddar and Monterrey Jack. If you aren’t familiar, poblanos are slightly spicier than bell pepper and have a bit richer flavor (IMO). They’re widely used for chiles rellenos (Mexican stuffed peppers). Anyway, I cooked that all up as usual, then spooned some medium-hot fresh salsa on. Quite tasty, and a nice change. Of course, I’ll always go back to the version I grew up with… thanks for the fond memories and the great recipe. 🙂
Hi emiline, Thanks for stopping by!
no, I never had egg with avocado, but I’m sure I’d like it, I love avocado’s.
Hi Sarah, thanks for your nice comments! Christa told me you were reading my blog, I’m so glad you have a place to buy pepper and egg sandwiches, have you ever tried to make them? very easy!!
Hi Gloria, Thank you, and welcome! Hope you stop by again.
Thanks Jenny!!
I am such a huge fan of egg sandwiches. My mom would make them for my sister and I all the time growing up. I will definately be trying your version. Looks so tasty!
I like so this sandwich, looks wonderful and I love italiand food, I like your blog! Gloria
I love your blog! I am a huge foodie myself and also good friend of Christa and Tony. Christa sent me a link to your blog and I check it weekly for ideas. This one hit home. One Friday evening during last year’s Lenten season, I found myself driving around Lockport trying to find a pepper and egg sandwich. I must have stopped in three or four “greasy spoon” italian beef stands in the neighborhood and was unable to find myself this delicious Lenten treat! You can only imagine my excitement when they recently opened a Pops Italian Beef on 159th and Farrell…now I know where I can find my sandwich this year! Yours looks great. Everything you make always looks better than any Italian restaurant I have ever eaten at! Keep the recipes coming…I love reading them!
Sarah Nast
That is one beautiful sandwich. The bread looks killer. Nice and chewy.
Have you ever tried an egg sandwich with creamy avocado? It’s really good! Sounds kind of weird, though.
Thanks everyone for all your comments!! For those of you who never tried this sandwich, I hope you do one day. And Maryann, you gotta be kidding me with the ketchup!!! (ha ha)
Hi Marie!
Lots of eggs and peppers being eaten around here. It’s the old standby when you want something delicious and quick. Would you get mad if I said I have ketchup on mine? haha
This is a total classic! Wow, this brings me back Marie! This is the cousin of my grandfather’s classic pepperoni egg sandwich – but that was for meat allowed days! Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Although Italian (well, half Italian!), I’m not familiar with this sandwich. And I grew up with the no-meat-on-Fridays rule. Anyway it looks gorgeous, and I’m with you on the hot giardiniera—yum.
i grew up with this kind of food…and this sandwich was eaten a lot in the morning/brunch hours or during Lent!
I LOVE Giardiniera!
It sounds simple and yet tasty! Fried peppers, eggs and cheese all wrapped up in fresh bread. I will have to look for some Giardiniera to try.
I love hearty Italian food and this sandwich doesn’t even have any meat in it. I’ll be sure to try this out. I love Giardiniera too!! Good luck on the DB challenge!
What a gorgeous sanguich!!… we alternated on Lenten Fridays between this and Potato and Egg… and you couldn’t be more right about the need for good ingredients. Out where I’m living now, I have no problem getting great eggs from the local farms, good pecorino Romano is easy to come by too… bread… now there’s the rub- everything on this ‘Left’ coast seems to be of the “white spongy” variety… I’d give my right arm for a loaf of anything from Addeo’s on Hughes (off Arthur Ave in the Bronx)… Thanks for sparking the great food memories!!
Johnny T
http://johnnytomatoes.blogspot.com/
Ive heard of this sandwhich, but always feared it wowuld be bland.The way you cook it up would be exactly how I’d like it with the Giardiniera !
No offense but if anyone else made this sandwich, it would get bypassed but you’re Italian, which means very good bread, good, simple quality ingredients.
PS. Love Giardiniera!
Sometimes comfort foods just taste better at home…for example I have yet to find a meatloaf worthy outside of a home kitchen.
Words fail me – and I earn part of my living writing! Yikes! 🙂 I just love, love, love your food. What a delicious discovery this is! Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving such kind comments and leading me to your home on the web. I can tell that I’ll be eating here often.
Looking forward to seeing you around.