Italian Sausage and Peppers Skillet

Oh dear yummmm! Really loved this, definitely 10/10! This paired very well with these roasted potatoes, and I think would also pair well with rice, egg noodles, or even pasta.

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/7-dRPiukwYM

Original recipe credit: https://www.eatwell101.com/sausage-and-peppers-recipe

Ingredients:

5 spicy (hot) Italian sausage links

~1/4 c. water

1 T. olive oil

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed with mortar/pestle

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes, divided *(I used a can that had basil added; not obligatory, but worked very well!)

1 orange bell pepper, sliced (you could also use red or yellow)

1/2 c. chicken stock (or broth)

salt and pepper, to taste

fresh basil and shredded Parmesan, to garnish

Instructions:

1. Coat pan with a very thin layer of olive oil. Heat over medium heat and add the Italian sausages. After they start to cook just a little, add the water (to keep them from sticking too much). Brown on all sides, then transfer to a cutting board (note: sausages do NOT need to be cooked all the way through at this point, as you will be cooking them through in later step).

2. After removing the sausages, reduce heat slightly and add the 1 T. of olive oil to the pan. Stir in the red onion, followed by crushed fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and 2 T. of the crushed tomatoes.  Stir constantly for 1 minute.

4. Add the bell pepper and rest of can of crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine and let cook, stirring occasionally, for around 3 minutes. 

5. Stir in the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to simmer (increase heat slightly if needed).

6. Meanwhile, slice the Italian sausage into 1/4" rounds. Add them to the skillet mixture and stir to coat. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is cooked through (I went 10 min.) and sauce is thickened.

7. Remove from heat and serve garnished with chopped fresh basil and shredded Parmesan. Enjoy!