This Keto Crockpot Sausage and Peppers recipe, published January 17, 2020, offers a simple, hands-off dinner solution that the whole family will love. It's a gluten-free and low-carb dish.
Introduction
Sausage and Peppers, a flavorful comfort food dish, is traditionally prepared on the stovetop by slowly cooking down the onions and peppers before adding the sausage. This recipe simplifies the process by utilizing a crockpot, making it an ideal choice for busy weeknights. This Italian-inspired dish is not only easy to prepare but also packed with robust flavors that blend together as it slow cooks.
Ingredients
The ingredients for this recipe are simple to find and may already be pantry staples.
- Sweet Italian sausages (pork or chicken; spicy Italian sausages can also be used)
- Red and green bell peppers (using a variety of colors is visually appealing, but using just one color is fine)
- Onions
- Garlic
- Italian seasoning
- Dried oregano
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Bay leaf
- Olive oil
- Marinara sauce (sugar-free for keto or low-sugar diets)
- Optional: white wine, cheese (mozzarella or parmesan), hoagie buns, pasta, rice, parsley
Preparation
- Finely chop the garlic.
- If using a food processor, swap the chopping blade for the slicing disc. Peel onions and halve them. Place the onion halves cut side down in the food processor and slice. Alternatively, thinly slice by hand.
- Slice the bell peppers in half from top to bottom, then slice into strips.
Instructions
There are several ways to prepare this dish, including using a skillet, slow cooker, or Instant Pot. Here are a few options:
Slow Cooker Method
- Assemble: Add the sliced bell peppers to the slow cooker along with salt, Italian seasoning, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, 1/4 cup cold water, and a can of crushed tomatoes. Toss until well coated and liquid is evenly distributed.
- Remove about half of the peppers and onion mixture to a bowl. Bury the uncooked sausages in the middle and return the peppers and onions back to the slow cooker to cover the sausage. Add the bay leaf.
- Slow Cook: Cover and set to low, and cook for 6 hours. The onions and peppers will give off a lot of water as they cook, which will make the sauce liquid and spoon-able.
Slow Cooker Method with Searing
- Sear the Sausage: Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan. Sear the Italian sausages for 2-3 minutes on each side until starting to brown. You're not trying to cook them all the way through, just browning the outside a bit which always increases the flavor while slow cooking.
- Assemble: Lay the seared Italian sausages in the bottom of a crock-pot. Add the uncooked sliced onions and peppers on top of the sausages. Pour the marinara sauce over the onion and pepper mixture.
- Slow Cook: Cook the sausage and peppers on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours until the peppers are soft and the Italian sausage is cooked through.
- Add cheese and broil (optional step): Transfer the sausage and peppers to a baking pan. Feel free to double if you're serving a crowd or freezing some for later!
Slow Cooker Method - Simplified
- Spray the inside of the crockpot with non-stick spray.
- Place onions in the bottom of the crock then the sausages. Then add peppers, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Top with 1½ cups of marinara sauce and spread over sausages and vegetables.
- Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or until sausages are done and vegetables are tender.
- Adjust salt and pepper if needed.
Instant Pot Method
Instructions for the Instant Pot are not provided in the source text.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Tips and Variations
- Sausage: You can use any type of Italian sausage links (mild, hot, or sweet), chicken, turkey, or veggie sausage. If following a keto or low-sugar diet, avoid sweet Italian sausage and ensure the sausage is keto-friendly by reading the label. Smoked sausage or andouille can also be used.
- Peppers: While a variety of colored peppers is visually appealing, using just one color is perfectly fine.
- Marinara Sauce: For keto or low-sugar diets, use sugar-free marinara sauce. Homemade keto marinara is a healthy and tasty alternative to store-bought brands that often have added sugar.
- Spice: For a spicy dish, use spicy Italian sausage, add jalapenos or other hotter peppers, or increase the amount of crushed red pepper flakes. You can also use a spicy marinara sauce.
- No Sauce: To make this dish without sauce or tomatoes, simply leave out the sauce.
- Thickening the Sauce: To thicken the sauce, cook it longer or let it cool. You can also cook off excess liquid on the stovetop.
- Thinning the Sauce: Adjust the quantity of Italian seasoning to your preference.
- Adding Wine: After browning the sausage, pour in white wine to deglaze the pan for added flavor.
- Make it Cajun: Substitute a cajun sausage, use cajun seasoning, and instead of marinara sauce use diced tomatoes with onion and bell peppers. Omit salt and pepper until ready to serve, and only if needed, due to the salt in cajun seasoning.
- Add Chicken: Simply slice up 1 pound boneless chicken breast cubes and add it along with the other ingredients.
- Sausage peppers and potatoes: Potatoes pair well with just about every dish.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the Italian sausages straight from the pot, broil a little cheese on top, or serve on a bun.
- Serve on its own.
- Broil cheese on top.
- Serve on a bun (toasted buns recommended).
- Serve over rice or pasta.
- Serve over a chaffle or riced cauliflower.
- Use as a filling in sandwiches, tortilla rolls, and wraps.
- Use in stuffed peppers or stuffed potatoes.
- Serve with a salad (a simple green salad without an overpowering dressing or coleslaw pairs well).
- Serve with bread like breadsticks, dinner rolls, crusty artisan bread, pita bread, or garlic bread.
- Serve with soup.
- Serve with quinoa or rice.
- Mix in boiled pasta at the end for sausage and peppers pasta.
- Serve with zoodles (zucchini noodles) or spaghetti squash for a healthier alternative to pasta.
Freezing and Reheating Instructions
- Freeze: In a sealed container for up to 1 month. To protect from freezer burn, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the food before placing the lid on.
- Reheat: In the microwave or stovetop until heated through. You can also reheat in a slow cooker.
Nutritional Information
This Crock Pot Italian Sausage and Peppers recipe is brimming with an amazing combination of robust flavors. This is a very Keto friendly dish at just 7 net carbs per serving. When eaten in moderation, bell peppers are one of my favorite ways to add a whole lot of flavor to savory recipes. Even though the exact amount of carbs for bell peppers depends on the color of the pepper, on average they have approximately 5 net carbs per cup. The wonderful thing about peppers isn’t just how delicious they are, but also that they pack impressive amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin B-6.
Nutritional data is provided as a courtesy and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You can verify it using the nutrition calculator of your choice. An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can prepare this recipe ahead of time. Either cook it and store it in the refrigerator in an air-tight container, warming it when you are ready. Or, prep the recipe for cooking and keep it in your fridge until you are ready to slow cook (up to 3 days).
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