Best Crock-Pot Sausage and Peppers Recipe

Serve These Sausages on Hard Italian Rolls or a Bed of Pasta or Rice

Who first conceived the idea of combining sausage, peppers and onions for a rib-sticking meal? The answer is lost in history, but sausage-and-pepper sandwiches are a must-have at ballgames at Fenway Park in Boston, and they're a popular offering of many street vendors in large American metropolises as well. Transform the sausages from sandwiches to a more traditional suppertime meal by substituting a bed of pasta for hard rolls, but stay away from soft rolls or the sandwiches will fall apart in your kids' hands.

This sausage and peppers recipe is delicious and – best of all – it’s easy. Much of the prep work can be accomplished the night before so all you have to do the next day is turn on the slow cooker and sail out the door.

Total Time: 6 1/4 hours | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Serves: 6

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 sweet red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 green pepper, sliced
  • 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Add the tomatoes, broth, oregano and oil to the Crock-Pot and mix well.
  2. Add the peppers, the onion and the sausage to the tomato mixture in the Crock-Pot. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Cover the Crock-Pot and set it to low. Cook on low for 6 hours.
Tip

You can combine all the ingredients through Step 2 in the Crock-Pot’s stoneware insert the night before. Cover it and refrigerate overnight so all you have to do the next day is drop the insert back into the Crock-Pot and turn it on.

If your family likes their meals a little more on the spicy side, add a dash of red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, or both.

If you cut the sausage into 1-inch slices prior to cooking, it will save you from cutting it up for your younger children at meal time. But you’ll want to shorten the cooking time by about 2 hours if you do this – which can work out well if you’re able to start the Crock-Pot at lunchtime instead of in the morning. Or you might ask one of your older children to do it when they get home from school.

Browning the sausage a little before adding it to the Crock-Pot is optional. It will taste good either way.

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