Dump Meals

Pork

Sausage with Peppers and Onions

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Browned Italian sausage links with bell peppers, onions and marinara, ready for rolls or pasta.

Serves
6
Prep
20 minutes
Cook
Low 4 to 6 hours, or high 2 to 3 hours
Slow cooker
6-quart

Sausage, peppers and onions is a sandwich shop and street fair favorite that cooks well at home. Italian sausage links are browned first, which gives them color and starts the cooking. Then they simmer with sliced bell peppers, onions and a jar of marinara until everything is soft.

Serve the sausages on toasted sub rolls with the peppers piled on, or slice them over pasta or rice. Sweet Italian sausage keeps the dish mild; hot Italian sausage gives it a kick. Raw sausage must reach 160°F, so check the center of one with a thermometer before serving.

Browning the sausage first gives it a better color and flavor. Use a skillet large enough that the links are not crowded. Mild peppers cook sweet in the sauce, and a pinch of red pepper flakes at the table adds heat.

Ingredients

Into the slow cooker

  • 2 pounds raw pork Italian sausage links, browned
  • 3 bell peppers, cut into strips
  • 2 yellow onions, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

To serve

  • sandwich rolls, for serving

Directions

  1. If your sausage is frozen, thaw it completely in the refrigerator first. Never put frozen meat in the slow cooker.
  2. Brown the sausage links in a skillet over medium heat, turning, about 8 minutes. They do not need to be cooked through.
  3. Put the peppers, onions and garlic in a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in the marinara and Italian seasoning.
  4. Nestle the sausages into the vegetables.
  5. Cover. Cook on low 4 to 6 hours or on high 2 to 3 hours.
  6. Check one sausage with a thermometer. It must read at least 160°F in the center, or 165°F for chicken or turkey sausage.
  7. Serve on rolls, with sauce and vegetables.

It's done when the sausages read at least 160°F in the center (165°F if you use chicken or turkey sausage), the peppers and onions are soft, and the sauce is steaming hot. Check with a food thermometer.

Leftovers go in the refrigerator within two hours. Reheat them on the stove or in the microwave until hot all the way through (165°F), not in the slow cooker. Slow cooker safety

Cooking for two

Use 1 lb sausage, 1 or 2 peppers, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic and half the marinara jar. Use a 3-quart slow cooker, so the food still fills it about halfway. Check at 3 hours on low.

More in Cooking for two in a slow cooker.

Tips

  • Keep the lid on. Peppers give off liquid as they cook.
  • If sausages are large, cut them in half before browning for even cooking.
  • Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow covered containers. Reheat them on the stove or in the microwave until they reach 165°F. Do not reheat them in the slow cooker.

Food-safety sources

More pork

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  • Carnitas Low 8 to 10 hours, or high 4 to 5 hours Freezer bag Pork shoulder cooked with orange, lime, cumin and oregano, shredded, and crisped under the broiler.
  • Hawaiian Pork with Pineapple Low 8 to 10 hours, or high 4 to 5 hours Freezer bag Pork shoulder pieces cooked in pineapple juice, soy sauce and ginger, shredded and served over rice.
  • Split Pea Soup with Ham Low 7 to 9 hours, or high 4 to 5 hours Dried green split peas, diced ham, carrots and celery slow-cooked into a thick soup. No soaking needed.