Vegan spicy hot sausage sandwich with cheese (Game Day recipe)

This hearty sandwich is laden with melty non-dairy mozzarella, hot peppers, onions, and a slathering of stoneground mustard on a fluffy bun.

When only bar food will do, this substantive meal is just what you need to scratch that itch. It’s also perfect for Game Day!

In this post:

Many years ago, on one of my dad’s milestone birthdays, we celebrated his big day with a Christmas light tour of Des Moines, Iowa.

My mom surprised him by renting a big van, large enough to hold many extended family members.

Before we started our drive through the city, we stopped at a hole-in-the-wall bar known for their hot sausage sandwiches.

I was still in high school at the time. So, for obvious reasons, I had never visited this bar. A relative went in and grabbed the sandwiches. Then they handed them out to us in the van.

I unwrapped the foil surrounding the sandwich to reveal a hot Italian sausage patty, melty cheese, onions, mustard, and two kinds of hot peppers on an airy bun.

The steamy, spicy sandwich was the ideal antidote to a cold December evening.

My parents still get those sandwiches every now and again, and make their own at home when they aren’t feeling like a drive. This year at Christmas, they even had a hot sausage sandwich station fully equipped with a toaster oven for cheese melting.

And even though I’m vegan and don’t eat the original anymore, when I get a hankering for something really indulgent, I like to make a vegan version.

There are so many plant-based specialty products on the market these days, it’s really easy to do. And it comes together lightning fast.

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

Vegan spicy ground sausage: Look for ground sausage that you can easily form into a patty that’s the same width and length as the bun you’re using.

Impossible is a good option. Or you can try other ground sausages on the market like Gimme Lean.

Thawing tip: The 14-ounce Impossible sausage tube is often sold frozen. When you want to thaw it, move it to the refrigerator to thaw slowly. If you try to rush it and thaw it in the microwave, you’ll likely have problems forming patties.

Can’t find ground vegan sausage? Beyond Sausage hot Italian links also work. Simply cut into and peel off the casings. Then form the ground meat inside into three rectangular patties. The amount of ground meat in a 14-ounce tube is basically the same as what’s in a 4-pack of sausage links.

Vegan mozzarella cheese: Any non-dairy mozzarella cheese you like works here. I usually use Trader Joe’s vegan mozzarella shreds.

Buns: Choose a soft sausage bun, a little fatter than a hot dog bun. In the pictures here I used sausage rolls, but pretzel rolls are also a good option.

Avocado oil: Even though sausage releases a lot of oil into the skillet, it’s still helpful to line a warm skillet with a little oil first to prevent the sausages from sticking.

Pickled peppers: As far as I’m concerned, quick pickled jalapeños are a must for this spicy sandwich. The flavor of the sausage is strong enough that you’re able to have even more spicy peppers than you might guess. Then fill it out with milder sliced peppers like peperoncini or banana peppers.

Onion: Yellow onion cut into half moons offer crunch and bite.

Mustard: Stoneground is my preference. It has more sharpness than yellow mustard, which plays nicely with the savory sausage. Boetje’s or horseradish mustard would also be good here.

This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

1. Form ground vegan sausage into the shape of three long, thin rectangles. Put them into a lightly oiled non-stick skillet on a medium heat.

2. Brown vegan sausage patties on both sides, smashing them a little to flatten.

3. Add a sprinkling of non-dairy mozzarella cheese. Then cover the skillet with a lid.

4. Turn the heat to low and allow the vegan cheese to melt.

5. Once the plant-based cheese has melted, move the sausage patties to a lined plate to drain excess oil.

6. Compile your sandwiches!

Load up warmed sausage rolls with:

• Stone ground mustard
• Sausage and cheese patties
• Sliced onion
• Sliced jalapeños
• Pepperoncini or banana pepper slices

You can make this sandwich your own by varying the ingredients.

• Replace sausage patty with a sausage link and leave off the cheese
• Use spicy sausage patties and put it on a round bun
• Replace vegan mozzarella cheese with non-dairy cheddar
• Add more or fewer hot peppers, depending on your proclivity for spicy foods
• Add sautéed bell peppers
• Caramelize the onions before adding to the sandwich
• Replace plain onions with pickled red onions or pickled shallots
• Add pickles
• Add a slathering of vegan mayo
• Replace stoneground mustard with vegan honey mustard

This spicy vegan sandwich is so filling, it could be a full meal on its own. But it also goes beautifully with any of these side dishes:

• French fries (baked)
• Onion rings (pan fried or air fried)
• Polenta fries (air fried)
• Fried zucchini (pan fried or air fried)
• Fried summer squash (air fried or pan fried)
• Fried green beans (air fried or pan fried)
• Vegan jalapeno poppers (fried, air fried, or baked)
• Beer battered pickles (fried or air fried)
• Crispy gnocchi in the air fryer
• Vegan turnip greens

Store leftover vegan sausage & cheese patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for about 4 days.

Reheat the patties in the air fryer at 390 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes, or until warmed through.

For more tasty vegan sandwich ideas, check out these delicious recipes:

• Buffalo Soy Curls sandwich
• BBQ jackfruit sandwich
• Vegan reuben jackfruit sandwich
• Vegan French dip sandwich with au jus
• Vegan chili dog
• Vegan Philly cheesesteak

📖 Recipe

Vegan spicy hot sausage sandwich with cheese

Author: Cadry Nelson

5 from 2 votes

This spicy sandwich is made with browned sausage patties topped with melty mozzarella. It's served on a warm bun with stoneground mustard and plenty of hot peppers. It's an indulgent sandwich that's perfect for noshing while watching the big game.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes minutes

Servings: 3 people

Course: Sandwich

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: game day food, hot sandwich, tailgating food

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 (14-ounce) package Impossible spicy ground sausage or other ground vegan sausage
• ▢ 1 teaspoon avocado oil
• ▢ Heaping ¼ cup shredded vegan mozzarella
• ▢ 12 to 18 jalapeno pepper slices
• ▢ 12 to 18 banana pepper slices or peperoncini slices
• ▢ ¼ yellow onion thinly sliced in half moons
• ▢ 4 sausage buns warmed
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons stoneground mustard divided (or to taste)

Instructions

• ▢
  Form spicy vegan ground sausage meat into three rectangular patties, roughly the width and length of the sausage buns.
• ▢
  Bring a non-stick skillet to a medium heat and add a thin layer of avocado oil.
• ▢
  Put the rectangular sausage patties into the oiled skillet. Cook until nicely browned on one side, about 3 or 4 minutes.
• ▢
  Use a thin spatula to get underneath each patty, and carefully flip them. Cook until browned on the other side, about 3 or 4 minutes more. While they cook, smash them a little with the spatula to flatten them.
• ▢
  Use a spatula to carefully get under each one, and flip one last time. Add a sprinkling of vegan mozzarella cheese to each sausage (about 1 ½ Tablespoons per sausage patty).
• ▢
  Bring the heat to low, and cover the skillet with a lid. Continue cooking until the cheese melts, about 3 minutes more.
• ▢
  Once the cheese has melted, move the sausages to a lined plate to drain.
• ▢
  Now it's time to compile the sandwiches. Slather each of the warmed sausage buns with mustard (about 2 teaspoons per sandwich). Then top each sandwich with a sausage & cheese patty, several thin slices of onion, 4 to 6 jalapeno pepper slices, and 4 to 6 peperoncini or banana pepper slices. Serve while warm.

Notes

The 14-ounce Impossible sausage tube is often sold frozen. When you want to thaw it, move it to the refrigerator to thaw slowly. If you try to rush it and thaw it in the microwave, you’ll likely have problems forming patties.

If you can’t find ground sausage, Beyond Sausage hot Italian links also work. Simply cut into and peel off the casings. Then form the ground meat inside into three rectangular patties. The amount of ground meat in a 14-ounce tube is basically the same as what’s in a 4-pack of sausage links.

Storage instructions

Store any leftover sausage and cheese patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for about 4 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 390 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes.

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Nutrition

Calories: 541kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 2355mg | Potassium: 806mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1164IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 303mg | Iron: 7mg