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Italian sausage and peppers is a great weeknight dinner recipe to have in your recipe rotation. It’s simple to make, has just a few ingredients and can be done completely in your slow cooker on nights when you need a make ahead meal.
Everything you need to know to make Sausage, Peppers and Onions in the Crockpot
- Recipe Notes and Tips
- About the Ingredients
- Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- How to make Sausage Peppers and Onions in the Crockpot
- Freezer Instructions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The Recipe
- Similar Recipes You Might Want to Try
Casandra’s Recipe Notes and Tips
This slow cooked Sausage, Peppers and Onions recipe includes the meat, vegetables and sauce; all you need to round out the meal is rice or pasta. Slow cooked for 4-6 hours, the flavors deepen leaving you with a dinner that everyone will love.
Crockpot sausage and peppers also make great leftovers. Separate the peppers, onions and sausage from the sauce. Use the sausage and veggies to make a lunch sandwich with melted provolone cheese. The saved tomato sauce can be used it to make homemade pizzas the next night too.
About the Ingredients
Sausage – 1 pound of sweet Italian sausage. If you like a little spice, use half sweet and half spicy.
Green Bell Pepper – 2 large peppers with stems and seeds removed. Keeping the slices thin helps get a little pepper in every bite.
Onions – 2 sweet onions sliced thin. I use a mandoline for this to keep the slices uniform.
Garlic – minced garlic or chopped fresh
Seasonings – oregano, basil, salt and pepper. You could add a few shakes of red pepper flakes here for a little heat.
Marinara sauce – use a 24 oz jar of your favorite jarred sauce or if you have homemade sauce that’s even better.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
This sausage and peppers recipe is easy to spice up a little. Try using spicy sausage instead of sweet or go half and half. You could also add some red pepper flakes with the other seasonings.
If you’re a mushroom lover like me you can beef up the vegetable ratio by adding some sliced Baby Bella mushrooms with the onion and peppers. Remove the stems and slice the mushroom caps. Toss them in when the other veggies go in.
How to Make Slow Cooker Sausage Peppers and Onions
If you have a stove safe crockpot, place the insert of your crockpot on the stove top over medium heat. If you don’t, use a separate frying pan. Brown the sausage on all sides. Remove the sausage to a plate. Return the insert to the crockpot.
Add the sliced onions and peppers, and all remaining ingredients except the sausage.
Give it all a good stir and then nestle the sausage into the sauce and poor the juice on the plate in too.
Put the lid on and cook on low for 4-6 hours. With 30 minutes remaining, remove the sausage, slice it on an angle and return the sausage to the crockpot. Give it a good stir and let it cook for the remaining time.
When the timer sounds, dinner is ready! I serve mine over brown rice but pasta is a good choice too.
Freezer Instructions for Sausage and Peppers
Sausage peppers and onions make a great freezer meal. If you have leftovers, transfer the sausage, peppers, onions and sauce to a freezer safe container and let it cool to room temperature. Then cover and freeze for up to 3 months.
To defrost sausage and peppers remove the container from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. When you’re ready to heat up the meal pour the sausage peppers and onions in a pot on the stove over medium low heat and cover the pot. Stir occasionally to prevent the sauce from burning and be sure the sauce only simmers, but doesn’t boil. Continue warming until the sausage is warm all the way through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Put the sausage peppers and onions in a pot on the stove over medium low heat and cover the pot. Stir occasionally to prevent the sauce from burning and be sure the sauce only simmers, but doesn’t boil. Continue warming for about 15 minutes or until the sausage is warm all the way through.
Rice, pasta, roasted green vegetable, green salad and bread for dipping all make great additions to sausage peppers and onions.
To freeze sausage and peppers simply transfer the sausage, peppers, onions and sauce to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
The Recipe for Sausage Peppers and Onions in the Crockpot
The recipe is attached below for easy downloading and printing. If you test it out be sure to leave a note in the comments below. I’d love to hear what you thought and if you have a favorite go-to jarred marinara. Enjoy!
Sausage Peppers and Onions in the Crockpot
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker / Crockpot
Ingredients
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
- 2 green bell peppers stems and seeds removed
- 2 sweet onions
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 24 oz jarred marinara sauce
Instructions
- Place the insert of your crockpot on the stove set over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. (*See notes if your insert is not safe for the stovetop.)
- Sear the sausages on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. While the sausage cooks, slice your peppers and onions.1 lb sweet Italian sausage
- Remove the sausages to a plate and return the crockpot insert to the cooker.
- Add the sliced peppers and onions to the slow cooker. Top with the remaining ingredients (except the sausage) and stir.2 green bell peppers, 2 sweet onions, 3 tsp minced garlic, 2 tsp dried oregano, 2 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, 24 oz jarred marinara sauce
- Nestle the sausage into the sauce and vegetables. Cover the crockpot and set to cook on low for 4-6 hours.1 lb sweet Italian sausage
- With 30 minutes remaining, remove the sausage to a cutting board and slice on an angle. Return the sliced sausage to the pot and let cook for the remaining time.
- Serve over rice or pasta.
Notes
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