Italian Hot or Sweet Sausage Sandwiches are a hearty and flavorful option perfect for lunch, snacks, or even dinner, especially when you’re serving a large group or need a quick weeknight meal solution. With a preparation time of just 30 minutes and a slow cook time of 8 hours, these sandwiches promise tender, juicy sausage packed with the bold flavors of onions, bell peppers, and tomato juice, all simmered to perfection in a crock pot.
Ingredients:
- 3 Italian sausages (hot or sweet, depending on preference)
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 green bell peppers, sliced
- 2 red bell peppers, sliced
- 6 beef bouillon cubes
- 1 quart (4 cups) tomato juice
- Water, as needed for deglazing
Instructions:
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Preparation:
- Gather all your ingredients to ensure smooth cooking process.
- Slice the onions, green bell peppers, and red bell peppers into thin strips.
- Prepare the beef bouillon cubes and tomato juice.
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Layering the Crock Pot:
- Take a 5-quart crock pot and begin by layering the sliced onions, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, and beef bouillon cubes at the bottom.
- Pour 2 cups of tomato juice over the vegetables.
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Browning the Sausages:
- In a frying pan over medium heat, brown the Italian sausages until they develop a rich, golden-brown color. Pierce the sausages with a fork a couple of times to prevent bursting while cooking.
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Combining Ingredients:
- Once the sausages are browned, transfer them to the crock pot, arranging them on top of the vegetable mixture.
- Deglaze the frying pan by adding a little water to the drippings, scraping up any flavorful browned bits, and pour this liquid into the crock pot as well.
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Slow Cooking:
- Pour the remaining tomato juice over the sausages and vegetables in the crock pot.
- Cover the crock pot with its lid and set the temperature to low.
- Allow the sausage mixture to cook slowly for about 6 to 8 hours, allowing the flavors to meld together and the sausages to become tender and juicy.
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Serving:
- Once the sausages are fully cooked and the vegetables are tender, carefully remove them from the crock pot.
- Serve the sausages hot on sandwich rolls or crusty Italian bread, topped with some of the cooked vegetables from the crock pot.
- Optionally, you can add condiments like mustard or marinara sauce for extra flavor.
Nutritional Information (per serving):
- Calories: 267.5
- Total Fat: 21.9g
- Saturated Fat: 7.5g
- Cholesterol: 44mg
- Sodium: 1076.3mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 7.6g
- Dietary Fiber: 0.9g
- Sugars: 4g
- Protein: 10.1g
These Italian Hot or Sweet Sausage Sandwiches are not only delicious and satisfying but also provide a balanced blend of protein, fats, and carbohydrates to keep you energized throughout the day. Whether you’re enjoying them for a quick weeknight meal or serving them to a crowd, they’re sure to be a hit!