Recipe: Sausage & Peppers - Crock Pot Style!

My man is from Illinois. The home of sausage & peppers. He grew up on this stuff. He loves this stuff. And I wouldn't DARE try to duplicate any recipe he's ever had from his family or any of his favorite Chicago restaurants.

Therefore, we never have sausage & peppers. Like never. Like not ever in 11 years of marriage have I ever cooked it.

But, fortunately for Brian, I went to the Westchase Farmer's Market on Saturday and the local farmer had the MOST GORGEOUS peppers on display. Every color in the rainbow (okay, maybe not purple, but yellow, orange, green, red...). They were just too beautiful and fresh to pass up.

Then, around the corner I spotted an artisanal sausage vendor. He makes his own sausage from only a few fresh ingredients. No by products, no sketchy (I put that word in there for you Dad) chewy things that you're not sure what they are. Just good, delicious ingredients. So I thought... fresh peppers, homemade sausage... I've got to make sausage & peppers for Brian!

One problem.

I have no clue how to make sausage & peppers. And I really don't like cooking sausage. (Okay, technically that's two problems).
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So, off to the internet I went! In search of an easy recipe that had lots of good reviews and the pictures looked like something we would all eat.

Let me tell you...this recipe is SO. DANG. GOOD. I just might be making sausage & peppers a lot more often!

Here's the recipe online if you want to print it off for yourself.

Unfortunately, I can't provide you with the amazing sausage that I used for it. But I would recommend going to a reputable meat market and getting some delicious fresh sausage for this recipe.

Okay, here we go... Sausage & Peppers in the crock pot!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. sweet or hot Italian turkey sausage
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 2" pieces (I used orange instead)
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 2" pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 2" pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry red wine or water
• 1 Tbsp. dried parsley leaves
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions:
1. Cook turkey sausage in heavy skillet over medium heat until browned, turning occasionally.
2. Layer half of the onions on bottom of 3-4 quart crockpot, then add half of the peppers.

3. Add all of the browned turkey sausage, then the rest of the onions and peppers.

 

4. Add bay leaves and garlic.
5. Combine diced undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, and red wine in small bowl and mix well to blend. Pour over mixture in crockpot.

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

7. One hour before mixture is done, mix together parsley, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper. Add to crockpot and stir well. Cover and cook one more hour until sausage is thoroughly cooked and vegetables are tender.

(I pre-mixed my seasonings so all I had to do was dump them in when it was time.)

 The finished product!!

 *** Be sure to serve this with a big loaf of French bread to soak up all the delicious juices!!!

Both kids and Brian and I devoured this dish. It is so good on a cold, rainy winter night like tonight. I hope you'll try it and let me know how you liked it!

Season's Eatings! :)