sausage po boys

Sometimes I just want a good, hearty sandwich but whenever I'm at the grocery store, I'm always deterred by the price of sandwich meat. Sandwich meat isn't that fantastic to begin with then they want to charge $3 or more for a small 9 oz. tub. So, I've begun to expand my sandwich meat horizons.

This week I explored sausage. In a moment of weakness, I picked up the really good (and more expensive) sausage. Even though this smoked hot sausage was $4.59 per pound, it's still less expensive (per pound) than one of those tubs of sandwich meat. Plus, it freezes really well so I can just use one link at a time, if I want to. Which I do. Had I purchased the sausage that was on special for $2.99 per pound, these po boys would have been REALLY inexpensive.

Po Boys are the south's answer to the submarine sandwich. They're supposed to be made on special po boy bread but if you can't get it you can use one of those big french loaves that most grocers sell for $0.99-$1.49. That's what I used because, even though I live in Po Boy central, there was only one type at the grocery store and it was just too pricey. Po Boy bread is pretty close to a french loaf although the crust may be a little more crispy and chewy. It's pretty good if you can get a hold of some.

I made a special "spread" to go on the po boys but regular mustard and mayo can be substituted if you prefer. Any type of mustard can be used but I chose to use coarse ground because I love the spicy bite... which again was more expensive than regular mustard. Man, I'm starting to splurge a little too much!


Pictured with cajun sweet potato "fries." Recipe to come later this weekend.



Total Recipe cost: $9.34
Servings Per Recipe: 3 large or 6 small sandwiches
Cost per serving: $3.11 per large, $1.56 per small
Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 10 min. Total: 25 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
1 lg loaf	french or po boy bread	$1.49
1 lb.	hot sausage	$4.59
1/2 head	romaine lettuce	$0.75
1 lg.	tomato	$0.82
36 slices	dill pickle	$0.59
1/4 cup	mayonnaise	$0.32
1/4 cup	mustard (any type)	$0.68
1 tsp	worchestershire sauce	$0.05
to taste	hot sauce	$0.05
TOTAL		$9.34

STEP 1: Cut the head of lettuce in half. Place one half flat side down and cut into shreds. Do this by first cutting lengthwise into three sections. Then, cut crosswise into thin shreds. Place the shredded lettuce in a colander, rinse well with water and let drain while you fix the rest of the sandwich.

STEP 2: Heat a grill (I used my lean, mean, fat dripping indoor grilling machine). Slice the sausage in half lengthwise and grill until cooked through (about 7 minutes).

STEP 3: While the sausage is cooking, combine the mustard, mayo, worchestershire and hot sauce. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Wash and slice the tomato.

STEP 4: Cut the french bread loaf into three sections for large sandwiches or six for smaller sandwiches (these are pretty filling, I could only eat a small one with my side of fries). Slice the loaf sections open, coat with the spicy spread then fill with the sausage, lettuce, tomato and pickle. Enjoy!

Step By Step Photos

This is the biggest head of romaine lettuce I've ever seen... and it was only $1.49, a much better deal than the pre-bagged stuff. I used half for the sandwiches and the other half for salads.


To get a really good shred for the sandwiches, first cut the head in half. Next, place one half flat side down on the cutting board and cut it lengthwise into three sections. Then, cut across the sections into thin shreds.


Now you have perfectly shredded, crunchy lettuce. Wash the lettuce in a colander and let it drain until you're ready to use it.


This is the "expensive" sausage I used... it was totally worth it. None of those rubbery cartilage bits in there!


Slice it in half lengthwise and grill. It tastes much better on a charcoal grill but I have to admit, the counter top grill worked better than I expected.


Combine the mustard, mayo, worchestershire and hot sauce to make the spread.


Doesn't look nearly as gross once it's stirred, huh? Refrigerate it until you're ready to use.


Start the Po Boy by coating the bread with the spread then adding the grilled sausage. This is a large sandwich, by the way, which I ended up cutting in half because it was just too huge.


Top the sausage with the shredded lettuce, tomato and pickles.


Eat up!

NOTE: Keep the left over shredded lettuce fresh by placing it in the refrigerator in a ziplock bag with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.

Both the leftover sausage and bread can be frozen and thawed later with excellent results (if you only make one sandwich at a time).

...I got really hungry while posting the photos on here so I went and made a meatless version of this sandwich. It had cheddar cheese, tomato, pickles, lettuce and the spread all on the french bread. It was fantastic! (and probably only cost pennies)