Italian Beef & Sweet Pepper Subs

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Quarter the potatoes. Place on the foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Arrange in an even layer, skin side down. Roast 20 to 22 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Leaving the oven on, remove from the oven. 

While the potatoes roast, cut off and discard the stems of the sweet peppers; remove and discard the cores, then thinly slice lengthwise. Halve the baguettes. Roughly chop the piquante peppers. Thinly slice the fontina cheese. Peel the garlic, keeping the clove whole. 

While the potatoes continue to roast, pat the beef dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned beef in an even layer; cook without stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until just cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a plate. 

Add the sliced sweet peppers to the pan of reserved fond (if the pan seems dry, add a drizzle of olive oil); season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened. Add the tomato paste, oregano, and as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. Add the cooked beef and 1/4 cup of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any fond, 1 to 2 minutes, or until coated. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Line a separate sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place the baguettes on the foil, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Leaving the oven on, remove from the oven. Carefully divide the cooked filling between the bottoms of the toasted baguettes. Top with the chopped piquante peppers and sliced fontina cheese. Return to the oven; bake 4 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven. 

Carefully rub the cut sides of the baked baguette tops with the peeled garlic clove; discard the clove. Complete the sandwiches with the baguette tops. Serve the sandwiches with the roasted potatoes on the side. Garnish the potatoes with the parmesan cheese. Enjoy!