Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers is an easy, four ingredient slow cooker recipe that is perfect for a busy weeknight! This recipe uses Italian sausages, red onion, bell pepper, and marinara and is perfect served on hoagies topped with cheese. This slow cooker meal only requires a couple of minutes of your time and is sure to be a family favorite dinner.

When it comes to dinner, my kids can be as challenging as they come. My four-year old often turns his nose up at what I serve before he even looks at it and my six year old doesn't prefer to try new things. Too bad for them, their mom is a food blogger and she's constantly making new things! Luckily, I know they like sausage, so I had a feeling these Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers would be a hit.

The verdict? I was right! I served this crock pot sausage and peppers on hoagies topped with cheese and then broiled to delicious perfection and my kids ate every last bit of them.

Ingredients in Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers

• Mild Italian Sausage links - you can also use hot Italian sausage links too, if you prefer a little bit of heat. Other sausage would also work including turkey sausage, chicken sausage, kielbasa, and bratwurst.
• Bell Peppers - I use one red bell pepper in this recipe, however if your family loves peppers, feel free to use two. Green bell peppers are also delicious in this recipe so you could use one of each. Cut them into strips so they are easy to layer on top of the sausages!
• Red Onion - this crock pot sausage and peppers recipe is delicious with red onion, however white onion and yellow onion work well, too.
• Marinara - the key to this recipe is using a good quality marinara sauce. A lot of the flavor comes from the marinara, so you want to use a good one! Our favorite is Rao's Marinara, which I like to buy at Costco.
• Shredded Italian Cheese and Hoagies - these are, technically optional as you can serve this slow cooker sausage and peppers on their own, but they are delicious served in hoagies topped with Italian cheese!

How to Make Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers

This slow cooker recipe is so incredibly easy. It requires just minutes of prep time!

Prepare the vegetables. Slice the bell pepper and onion. I like to keep them in strips instead of dicing them so they are easy to place on top of the sausages once they're in the hoagies.

Cook. Place the sausage links on the bottom of your slow cooker and top with the peppers, onions, and marinara. Give it a little stir and then cover with the lid. Cook the sausage and peppers in a crockpot on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.

Assemble and Serve. Once the sausages are cooked, place them in hoagies and top them with some of the peppers, onions, and sauce. Place them on a baking sheet and sprinkle with cheese. Broil for 1-2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden. Enjoy!

Sausage and Peppers Freezer Meal

Another great thing about this slow cooker Italian sausage and peppers recipe? It can be made into a freezer meal! Simply place the uncooked sausages, onion, pepper, and marinara in a gallon freezer bag and freeze. Remove the bag from the freezer the day before and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then cook the sausage and peppers in a crockpot according to directions!

Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers Tips and Variations

Storage. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. To reheat, you can microwave the sausage and peppers to get them warm and then broil the hoagies according to the recipe card instructions.

Meal Prep. This crock pot sausage and peppers recipe is great for meal prep! You can slice the vegetables up to 2 days in advance so all you need to do is open up the package of sausages and can of marinara and combine everything in the slow cooker.

Serving Suggestions

On rolls or hoagies. I love serving these as sausage and peppers sandwiches, on a hoagie bun. This is how my family likes them, as well.

With a side salad. A nice fresh green salad would be delicious along with this sausage and peppers dish.

A baguette or French bread. Bread is perfect for soaking up the extra marinara that has so much flavor!

Rice or whole grains. Serve this sausage and peppers with some white or brown rice, or quinoa, couscous, or your favorite whole grains.

Like this sausage recipe? Check these out, too!

Slow Cooker Beer Brats

Grilled Cheddar Sausage and Veggies

One Pan Cajun Sausage and Vegetables