Late August always calls for simple suppers that make the most of the garden without keeping you tied to the stove, and this slow cooker sausage dish fits that season just right. Sweet Italian sausage cooks down with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and a good shower of seasoning into one of those hearty, homey meals that tastes like much more work than it is. It has that old-fashioned Midwestern practicality I’ve always loved: a few dependable ingredients, a crock set low on the counter, and by supper time the whole kitchen smells like you’ve been tending dinner all day.
This is mighty fine spooned into shallow bowls with crusty bread to catch the juices, or served over buttered noodles, creamy polenta, or a scoop of mashed potatoes. If you want to keep it light, a simple green salad or some green beans on the side balances the richness of the sausage beautifully. For a true end-of-summer table, I’d add sweet corn and a plate of sliced garden tomatoes.
5-Ingredient Slow Cooker End of August Classic
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 1/2 to 2 pounds raw sweet Italian sausage links
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Directions
1. Scatter the sliced bell peppers and onion into the bottom of the slow cooker, then pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and sprinkle over the Italian seasoning.
2. Lay the raw sweet Italian sausage links on top in a single layer, nestling them down slightly into the vegetables.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the sausage is fully cooked and the vegetables are tender.
4. If you like, gently turn the sausage in the juices once or twice before serving so everything gets nicely coated. Taste the vegetables and add a pinch of salt or black pepper if needed.
5. Serve hot with bread, noodles, polenta, or mashed potatoes, spooning plenty of the peppers, onions, and tomato-rich juices over each portion.
Variations & Tips
Add potatoes: If you want this to be a true one-pot supper, tuck in 1 pound of baby potatoes under the vegetables. They’ll soak up all that good sausage flavor and make the meal even heartier.
Use garden produce: This recipe is made for that end-of-summer abundance. If your tomatoes are especially juicy, you can swap the canned tomatoes for about 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, and a red bell pepper plus a green one gives the prettiest color.
Brown for deeper flavor: Though it isn’t necessary, you can brown the sausage links in a skillet for a few minutes before adding them to the slow cooker if you want a richer, more roasted taste and darker color.
Make it saucier: For more spoonable juices, add 1/2 cup chicken broth or tomato sauce at the start. That’s especially nice if you plan to serve it over noodles or polenta.
Storage tip: Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat beautifully. I often slice the leftover sausage and warm it in the juices for quick sandwiches the next day.