Oh, boy, you guys! These Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers are so simple, and so, so, so good! I’m a huge fan of sandwiches the size of my head, and also love me an easy recipe, and this dish was a winner on both of those fronts.
Some people like long walks on the beach; I like big ol’ sandwiches that are easy to make and messy to eat.
I did struggle with this recipe, though. I knew I wanted sausage and peppers to be served on a hoagie, but I didn’t know if I should add marinara sauce to the slow cooker? Should I leave it as simple as just sausage, peppers, and onions? What do the real Italians do? What will optimize the deliciousness of this dish? If I were eating it at the fair, how would it look?
I asked my husband, who was ready to head out the door for work. “Hey, Honey? Do you think I should throw a jar of spaghetti sauce in there?”
“I don’t know,” he answered unhelpfully. “How did they make it at that place we liked in Portland?”
Dude. How did the restaurant I can barely remember from seven years ago make the sausage and peppers that I probably never had because I would have opted for the meatball sub? Really?
“I’m doing it without the sauce,” I decided firmly.
“Okay,” he agreed in a tone that suggested he didn’t care one way or another.
“I don’t know,” I hemmed. “Or do you think I should put it in?”
He looked at me with that patented husband look, and I ignored it by asking if maybe a little bit of garlic would be good in there?
This went on for at least five minutes, when I finally committed to leaving the recipe simple and unadorned. I was prepared to dump some sauce on at the end if necessary.
It wasn’t necessary. My house smelled incredible when I got home from work that afternoon, and the sausage and peppers were great on a hoagie without any fuss. I did drip a bit of the juice from the slow cooker onto my bun, and my husband topped his with a slice of cheese and melted it in the toaster oven.
It did remind me of the kind of food you get a fair or festival, without the crowds or overpricing, and the leftovers were great tossed with some penne the following night.
I’ll definitely be making this again, and maybe this time I’ll use some sauce. Do you think I should? Or not? I just don’t know…
Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers
- 2 lbs Italian sausage links (10 links)
- 4 bell peppers, any color, sliced
- 5 medium onions, sliced
- Hoagie rolls
- Slice the peppers and onions into strips or rings, and place in the slow cooker.
- Brown the sausage links in a pan, and transfer atop the peppers and onions.
- Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours or high 3-4 hours.
- If desired, toast hoagie rolls before adding the sausage, peppers, and onions.
- You can also add cheese, mustard, or marinara sauce if that floats your boat.
This was as good as the fair. I used one red, one green, one orange, and one yellow pepper. That made it really colorful, and it smelled wonderful. I did not brown the sausages, and they did brown really well on the top , but the undersides were pretty gray. That didn't seem to bother anyone at my house. I served it with ground mustard and melted cheese. Yummy!!
Sarah
My family thought this was a make again for sure! I used 3 green peppers and 4 onions. I couldn't fit anymore in my crock. I browned my sausages first and would probably go that route again. I ate mine on a tortilla with horseradish and it was perfect! My husband ate it on hoagies and also thought they were great. I was surprised by the flavor these had since the recipe itself was so simple.
Me
I loved both the simplicity and flavor of this meal. I seriously considered adding marinara to the slow cooker, but it was really good without. One of you needs to try it like that and tell me how it is!
Oh, wow. I will SO be making this. Thank you!!
I’m so glad you liked it, Shay!
This is about the sixth time I made this. So easy and delicious.
Do u need to put any liquid in before u put the peppers & onions in
I am making this as we speak!! I added one can of seasoned diced tomatoes for a little kick and some moisture. I will let you know how it turns out!
Thanks for posting! I was trying to figure out if I needed any liquid,you answered my question.
no seasonings???
Nope! I was skeptical, too, but it turned out SO GREAT!
I put a pound of frozen sausage in my slow cooker and cook it for 6 hours..
I use a 4 quart slow cooker ..
What size slow cooker do you use ?
Please add some Red Wine Vinegar to this….sends it over the top!
Great idea! Thanks, Jane!
How much?
Going to try this and will add a small can of diced jalapenos to give it a little more Kick!
Great idea!
I just came across your recipe for sausage and peppers. You asked if Italian’s use sauce or not. Well, I am 100% Italian and I grew up on sausage, pepper and onion sandwiches. In our house we do not put it in sauce if we are going to use it on a roll. Italians also fry everything but I am trying your recipe in a crockpot this weekend while I am at the beach this will be done by the time I get home!!
Thanks for your expert input, Cat, and I love that you’re giving my recipe a try! Please let me know how it turns out, and if you made any changes. I’m always tweaking and updating my recipes!
I so wanted to make the original, un-marinara sauced Italian sausage with peppers and onions, but didn’t have the time to make them before my guests would be arriving. So I looked online for a crockpot version. I found one, but I didn’t believe it was that easy, so I kept looking. Kept finding them with tomatoes, marinara or other sauces. Then I ran across this one of yours. I thought, well, ok. She just validated my hopes of making it so simply in the crockpot. Wellllllllllllllllllllllllllll, it was perfect! Thank you so much. My guests loved them. Since they were all on the “older” side of life, I used sweet Italian sausages. Came out perfectly! I did serve Marinara sauce on the side for the few who weren’t purists. LOL. Thanks so much!!!!
Just wanted to confirm, nothing is added to the crockpot to cook the veggies and onions…..guessing just the fat from the sausage??
That’s correct. The veggies will kick off quite a bit of liquid when they cook, too.
You could always add a little beef broth for some liquid if need be. I do that when I cook stovetop sausage and peppers and it adds just a good amount of liquid.
Absolutely. A little broth won’t hurt.
Making this now for the Orange bowl guests… used red, yellow and green peppers plus a red onion and a white. Added some beer and garlic powder. Have marinara on the ready… won’t think about that til about 5pm
Are the sausages precooked or raw? I’m really looking forward to making this. Thanks for your help!
*burp*
Pardon me and thank you, it turned out wonderful.
You had me at “hoagie roll” and as a true Philadelphian, NO SAUCE! 🙂
I’m making this today, can’t think of a better way to celebrate this dreary Memorial Day sans bbq.
Thanks for this! I have been looking for a crock pot sausage and peppers recipe that DIDN’T use a marinara. I will be doing 24 sausages tomorrow for my husband’s 70th birthday picnic. I didn’t want to have to stand over a grill during the party so I will be using my turkey roaster as a slow cooker.
Delicious! I am originally from New Jersey, compares to Sausage and Peppers at the Jersey Shore on the Boardwalk! Perfect to prepare in the crock pot on a hot day such as today in Maine! It was 92.
Can this recipe “overcook”? I would love to leave it in the crockpot when I go to work, but I’m gone for 9 hours.