An easy family recipe that’s tremendously easy to prepare with audience-pleasing results, Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers requires no browning and makes a simple but delicious slow-pitch dinner to throw away and take away on weekdays, or a party dish that’s guaranteed to please!
About this recipe for sausages and clay pot peppers
Well, I’ve been waiting for you…
This recipe for
sausages and slow cooker peppers
has been a staple in my kitchen for years, and I honestly thought I already had a place here along with all my other easy-to-throw away slow cooker recipes and use.
It turns out that the recipe was still alive in my head, So I set out to fix that problem as soon as possible!
I originally learned this recipe from my mother-in-law, a native of upstate New York, where American Italian food is taken very seriously.
She makes this recipe for sausages and peppers year-round, and the ease of preparation makes it a staple for her during the warm summer months when they entertain a crowd of relatives on the lake.
Process and tips
Especially since there is no pre-browning, the preparation for this easy slow cooker recipe is an ultra simple cut-and-drop situation, plus the kitchen stays cool because you don’t have to turn on the stove or oven!
Just add everything to the slow cooker, set the timer and let the clay pot work for you.
It’s also super adaptable, so you can add extra Italian sausages, extra sauce, and extra veggies to increase portion size.
That’s what’s amazing about it all, no matter how many people you have to feed, you can stretch this recipe to make it work.
It’s the perfect recipe for game day, or when you need to feed a crowd easily!
Tip: My mother-in-law occasionally adds dumplings to her sausages and peppers, so if you want to take her lead, you can also add a bag of frozen and thawed dumplings or my favorite dumplings if you wish.
Why use the slow cooker?
I love using the slow cooker for sausages and peppers, because after cutting the peppers and onions is a completely easy preparation recipe.
As an added bonus, your kitchen stays cool in the warmer months, and the food stays warm if you’re feeding a crowd.
During the slow cooking time, all flavors have the opportunity to develop and marry, taking simple ingredients and turning them into a dish that tastes like it takes you all day to simmer and stir.
How to Make Sausages and Peppers with Sauce I
personally like sausages and peppers with sauce, so I use a pre-made marinara to keep the ingredient list and preparation time to a minimum
.
Since this recipe uses so few ingredients, look for a marinara sauce with very good flavor, such as Rao’s.
How to Make Sausages and Peppers Without Sauce
If you prefer sausages and peppers without sauce,
skip the marinara and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning without added salt and a teaspoon of kosher salt along with the peppers, onions and sausages. Without sauce, I also like to finish the sausage and peppers with a
splash of pepperoncini juice
.
Having that bit of shine (which you’d otherwise lose from tomato-based marinara sauce) really helps elevate all flavors
. What kind of sausage goes in sausages and peppers? Traditionally, sweet Italian sausage (
which is not sweet, but is used as a way to differentiate it from spicy Italian sausage) works best for sausages and peppers
.
If you prefer spicy, feel free to use half (or all) of the spicy Italian sausage in this recipe
.
You can also substitute Italian chicken sausage if you prefer
.
Tip: You can make peppers and onions (without sausage) in the slow cooker. Simply skip the marinara and sausage, then add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning with no added salt and a teaspoon of kosher salt, stir and then cook according to the recipe.
What to serve with sausages and
peppers
There are so many delicious ways to serve sausages and peppers!
You can stuff it in hot hoagie or sausage rolls, mix with cooked pasta of any shape, serve with garlic bread on the side topped with an Italian cheese mix, or opt for a low-carb option by serving over cooked spaghetti squash or cauliflower rice.
It would also be great with a simple salad served with it, just add a healthy dressing, like this easy balsamic vinaigrette or pesto vinaigrette to your favorite fresh vegetables.
Ingredients and modifications
Sweet Italian Sausage: I used sweet Italian sausage for this sausage and pepper dish. But if you prefer things a little spicier, you can use half or all of the spicy Italian sausage instead, which also works great for this recipe. Pork sausage produces super tender and tasty results in this recipe, but if you prefer not to use pork, chicken sausage will work too.
Peppers: You can use red, orange, yellow or green peppers. Everything will taste great in this recipe! I used a mixture of different colors of peppers, but you could also use just one.
Onions: Slowly cooked onions add a lot of flavor to this dish without much extra effort on your part. I think yellow onions work best for this recipe.
Marinara Sauce: Pre-made marinara sauce is a great pantry staple and shortcut recipe! I’m looking for a marinara sauce with very good flavor, like Rao’s (since we are using very few ingredients). For a low-sodium option, be sure to use low-sodium marinara. You can also make this dish without sauce if you prefer, be sure to see my instructions on how to make it above.
Tip: Due to the salt in the marinara and sausages, you will notice that this recipe does not require additional salt. However, because sausage and marinara brands differ in sodium, I suggest trying the sauce at the end and adding salt if desired.
This recipe is…
Dairy-freeGluten-freeNut-freePaleoWhole30
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