Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers Recipe

By
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen is a journalist, quick-cooking and slow-cooking expert, and accomplished cookbook author with over 30 years of experience in testing and developing recipes.
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Updated on 01/12/22
Sausage Pepper Onion
rudisill / Getty Images
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 7 hrs
Total: 7 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 6 servings

The combination of sausages and bell peppers is a classic, and when made in the slow cooker, this recipe is full of flavor and comes together easily. A mixture of onions, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, red wine, and Italian seasoning complements the Italian sausage, making for the perfect pasta topping or sandwich filling. It's also delicious eaten all on its own.

Even if the sausage is fully cooked, it does need to be browned before adding to the slow cooker to remove excess fat and achieve a nice color and texture. Then all you need to do is layer the ingredients in your crock pot, wait a few hours, and then enjoy this delicious Italian slow cooker sausage and peppers tonight.

Italian sausage comes in two flavors: hot and sweet. They both contain fennel, garlic, and onion, but the hot also have crushed red pepper flakes. Use the variety you like best.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Italian sausages, sweet or hot

  • 2 onions, chopped

  • 2 red peppers, cut into 2-inch pieces

  • 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

  • 1 (8-pounce) can tomato sauce

  • 1/2 cup dry red wine, or beef broth

  • 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Cook the sausage in a heavy skillet over medium heat until browned, turning occasionally.

  3. Layer half of the onions on the bottom of a 4-quart crock pot, then add half of the peppers. Add all of the browned sausage, then the rest of the onions and peppers.

  4. Add the diced undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, and the red wine to the skillet and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to loosen the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour this sauce over the sausage and peppers in the crock pot.

  5. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.

  6. Add the dried Italian seasoning and pepper to the crock pot and stir well.

  7. Cover and cook for 1 more hour until the sausage is thoroughly cooked to 160 F (as measured with a food thermometer), and the vegetables are tender.

  8. Serve and enjoy.

Tip

You can begin the process of browning the sausage by adding about 1/3 cup of water to the skillet. This starts to cook the sausages and helps them brown more evenly.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
585 Calories
42g Fat
18g Carbs
31g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 585
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 42g 54%
Saturated Fat 15g 77%
Cholesterol 86mg 29%
Sodium 1357mg 59%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 7%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 31g
Vitamin C 99mg 493%
Calcium 76mg 6%
Iron 4mg 20%
Potassium 843mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)