Italian Stew

[cat lover]

2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, broken into bites
3/4 pound hot Italian sausage, broken into bites
2 small, 6" zucchini cut into 1/2" rings
1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper cut into 1" chunks
1/2 a medium onion cut into chunks
1 tsp garlic
28 oz chopped Italian tomatoes
2 tsp Italian spice blend
8 oz thickly sliced button mushrooms, cut in half
1 1/2 cups Italian cheese blend
4 tbsp fresh basil cut into thin slices



Put the broken up sausage and olive oil in a large saute pan. Toss. Cook on medium high till both sides of the sausage are browned. You don't need to cook the sausage all the way through. It will finish in the crock pot. When the sausage is done put half of it in the crock pot. Layer in the zucchini, pepper onion and garlic. Then add the other half of the sausage. Top it all with the tomatoes. Just open the can and pour it on juice and all. Add the Italian spices and stir to get it all mixed up. Cover and cook on LOW heat for 7 hours. Add the mushrooms, stir, cover and cook 1/2- 1 hour longer. Add cheese and basil, cover 5 minutes and serve over cooked pasta of your choice/