Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions, a popular street food in Italy, makes a great informal lunch or dinner when served on crusty Italian buns; it can be made easily at home in the slow cooker, at which time it can be served over Creamy Buttery Polenta or even pasta, with crusty bread on the side instead of a sandwich. Slow Cooker Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions is a perfect cold weather dish, and hands-on time is just enough to brown the sausages while slicing the peppers and onions – 15-20 minutes. This can be done the night before, if time is short in the morning. Make sure the crock is taken from the refrigerator at least one hour prior to starting the slow cooker to prevent cracking.

If using the Nesco or Fagor 3-in 1 slow cooker (one of the best timesaving appliances on the market), the sausages can be browned right in the pot, saving on a pan to wash. However, any 4-6 quart slow cooker will work well. Also, the recipe calls for half mild sausages and half hot sausages; the hot sausages add flavor and a little spiciness to the sauce, but all mild sausages may be used according to personal preference.

12 Servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 mild Italian sausages (about 1 1 1/2 – 2 pounds)
6 hot Italian Sausages (about 1 1/2 - 2 pounds)
2 red onions, cut in half and sliced very thin
2 red bell peppers, quartered then cut into thin slices
2 green bell peppers, quartered then cut into thin slices
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.


2. Add the sausages and brown on all sides over high heat.


3. Transfer the sausages to the slow cooker.


4. Cover the sausages with the onions, peppers, garlic, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, fennel, salt, and pepper.


5. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours.


6. If the mixture has a lot of liquid near the end of cooking, turn the slow cooker to high and set the lid a little to the side to allow for evaporation.


7. Serve over hot polenta, pasta, or on crispy Italian buns.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 328 Calories from Fat 224
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 68% Protein 23% Carb. 9%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 25 g
Saturated Fat 8 g
Cholesterol 71 mg
Sodium 1036 mg
Total Carbohydrate 7 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 19 g

Vitamin A 16% Vitamin C 66% Calcium 0% Iron 9%

For more information or to purchase a 3 in 1 slow cooker, steamer, pressure cooker from Amazon:

Fagor 670040230 Stainless-Steel 3-in-1 6-Quart Multi-Cooker
Nesco American Harvest PC-6-25-30TPR 6-Quart Multifunction Digital Pressure Cooker