Slow Cookin': Tomato, Sweet Pepper & Hot Italian Sausage Link Stew
As difficult as it is to fathom cramming anything else into my mornings (I really struggle with anything involving hours prior to 10a), it sure is marvelous to come to a house that already smells like dinner and know that my work is truly done for the day. Sometimes when I make things in the slow cooker, there are still things to do, like make rice to go with a curry or set up ingredients for tacos. Well, this involves no additional work when you get home (unless you can't handle putting it in a bowl).
And since mornings are such a struggle for me, I browned the sausage links the night before (took 5 minutes) and my husband cut the peppers (which also probably only took 5 minutes). To be honest, I had no clue how this would turn out despite its simplicity. I kind of just wanted these flavors and was really only seeking out something I could dip some bread in, mainly because I had some really good sheep's milk garlic herb cheese from a local farmer's market I wanted to spread on the bread... And that, my friends, is how a recipe is born.
You'll notice I included very few...okay, only one...picture. That's because I wasn't planning on posting it in the blog. I figured it'd be one of those forgettable dinners, similar to a routine pasta dish. It was so good, though, and well-received when I posted a pic on Instagram, so I figure it's worth sharing. Plus, we've all seen what tomatoes, peppers and sausages look like, right? This is all about the end product.
Tomato, Sweet Pepper & Hot Italian Sausage Link Stew
Serves: 2
Preparation TIme: 10 minutes prep + 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high
Ingredients:
2 pints cherry tomatoes
2 small Italian sweet peppers or 1 large red bell pepper, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 hot Italian sausages (in their casing)
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 c. water (or more)
Method:
1. If prepping the night before, place rinsed cherry tomatoes in a bowl, along with chopped peppers and peeled garlic cloves. Heat a frying pan and brown sausages on all sides. Place in bowl with the tomatoes and peppers. Place in fridge over night or until ready to place in slow cooker.
2. Pour bowl of ingredients into the slow cooker. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Add in water so that the tomatoes and peppers are just about half way covered with liquid. Stir and then nestle in the sausages so they're sitting slightly atop the peppers and tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
3. When ready to eat, break down the tomatoes with a wooden spoon and stir. Keep lid off and let sit for about 15 minutes on the warm setting on your slow cooker to help thicken. Remove sausages and cut into slices, if desired. Add back to slow cooker and stir. Serve in bowls with crusty bread and a creamy cheese, such as chevre, to spread on the bread.
