Ingredients:
4 red bell peppers, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
½ tablespoon garlic powder
1¼ cups marinara sauce
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 (19‑ounce) packages Italian sweet sausages (such as Johnsonville)
Hot dog buns or cooked pasta, for serving
Directions
Add the sliced red and green peppers and onion to a 4–6 quart slow cooker. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder, then pour the marinara sauce over the top and stir to coat the vegetables evenly.
Cover and cook on Low for 2 hours, stirring once or twice. While the vegetables cook, heat a large skillet over medium‑high heat, add the butter, and sear the sausages on both sides until golden brown.
Transfer the browned sausages to the slow cooker, nestling them into the peppers and onions. (If you prefer, you can skip browning and add the sausages straight to the slow cooker.) Cover and continue cooking on Low for about 4 more hours, stirring every hour and taking care not to break the sausages as they become tender.
If you want sliced sausage, carefully remove the links near the end of cooking, slice them, and return them to the slow cooker to soak up the sauce. Serve the sausage and peppers in hot dog buns or over pasta, spooning plenty of the marinara‑pepper mixture on top.
Chef’s Tip
Sprinkle grated Parmesan over the hot sausages and peppers just before serving for an extra savory finish.