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Crockpot Sausage and Peppers

Crockpot sausage and peppers features tender slow-cooked Italian sausage with sweet roasted-style bell pepper strips and a crushed tomato base. Cook low until the peppers are very tender and the sausage is fully cooked for an easy, hearty Italian-American main.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 540
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Italian sausage links
  • 2 lb Italian sausage links (sweet, hot, or a mix)
Red bell peppers
  • 2 red bell peppers, sliced into strips
Green bell peppers
  • 2 green bell peppers, sliced into strips
Yellow bell peppers
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
Onions
  • 2 large onions, sliced
Garlic
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
Crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried basil
Garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
Salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
Red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
Hoagie rolls
  • 1 hoagie rolls or cooked pasta for serving
Provolone cheese
  • 1 provolone cheese, optional

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Layer and season
  1. Place the Italian sausage links in the slow cooker. Arrange them in a single layer so they heat evenly.
  2. Add the sliced bell peppers, onions, and minced garlic around and over the sausages. Spread them so the peppers sit over and between the sausage links.
  3. Pour the crushed tomatoes over everything. Make sure most of the sausage and vegetables are covered.
  4. Sprinkle Italian seasoning, dried basil, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes over the top. Cover the surface evenly so the flavor disperses as it cooks.
Slow cook
  1. Cook on low for 5–6 hours or high for 2.5–3 hours until the sausages are fully cooked and the peppers are very tender. You should see the sauce simmer gently and the peppers soften when pressed.
  2. Slice the sausages if desired and stir everything together. Keep cooking if needed until the sauce looks thick and the peppers are fully tender.
Serve
  1. Serve the sausage and pepper mixture on hoagie rolls topped with provolone or over pasta. Add provolone so it melts slightly from the hot filling.

Notes

Pro tip: slice the peppers and onions fairly uniformly so they turn tender at the same time as the sausage. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days in a covered container; reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot. Freezing is yes—freeze portions up to 2 months and thaw overnight before reheating. For a lighter option, use turkey sausage and reduced-fat provolone if topping with cheese.