Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers
Italian sausages slow-cooked with bell peppers, onions, and marinara sauce until tender and full of flavor. Serve in toasted hoagie rolls for hearty sandwiches or over pasta for an easy weeknight dinner.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage links (about 5 links)
- 3 bell peppers (any color), seeded and cut into strips
- 1 medium onion (red or white), cut into strips
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups marinara sauce (one 24-ounce jar or homemade)
- Fresh minced parsley or basil for garnish
- For serving: hoagie rolls or cooked pasta, fresh grated mozzarella or parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Brown the sausages (optional). Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the sausages for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown. They don't need to be cooked through.
- Layer in the slow cooker. Place the sausages in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with bell pepper strips, onion strips, and minced garlic. Sprinkle with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Add the bay leaf.
- Add the sauce. Pour the marinara sauce over the top and gently stir to combine.
- Cook. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours, until the sausages reach an internal temperature of 160°F and the peppers are tender.
- Serve. Remove the bay leaf. For sandwiches, toast hoagie rolls under the broiler, add sausages and toppings, sprinkle with cheese, and broil until melted. For pasta, serve over your favorite cooked pasta with sauce and grated cheese.
Notes
- Browning is optional but adds color, flavor, and texture. Skip it if you're short on time.
- Sweet or hot sausages both work well. Choose based on your heat preference.
- Low setting recommended. Cooking on low for 4 to 5 hours gives the best texture. High works but results may be slightly less tender.
- Don't pierce the sausages. Keep the casings intact to lock in juices.
- Pepper colors: Green peppers stay firmer; red, yellow, and orange peppers get softer and sweeter.
- Sauce substitution: Use a large can of crushed tomatoes with Italian seasoning and minced garlic instead of jarred marinara. Homemade Marinara Sauce or Homemade Spaghetti Sauce also work great.
- This recipe uses sausage links. It will not work with ground Italian sausage.
- Doubles easily in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker for feeding a crowd.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze fully cooked sausages and sauce for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating: Warm in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove.
Nutrition
Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 1942mg | Potassium: 1124mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3590IU | Vitamin C: 131mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 4mg
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