Sausage and Peppers

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

My mother-in-law taught me this recipe. I made a few small changes to it, though.

1 to 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage
1 Tbsp olive oil, optional
1 large onion, cut in 1/2-inch wedges
2 bell peppers (red and/or green), cut in 1/2-inch strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Pierce sausages with a fork. Cook either in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour (turn once) or cook in a preheated frying pan over medium-low heat, turning occasionally until medium brown. Remove sausage to a plate. Using 1 Tbsp sausage drippings or olive oil, saute onion, peppers, and garlic in same frying pan over medium-high heat until tender-crisp.

Meanwhile, slice sausage diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and sausage to pepper mixture and cook until heated through. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Variation: Serve over hot cooked pasta or rolls.

To make a freezer meal: Cook the sausage in the oven, then let them cool, slice them and freeze them in labeled quart-size freezer bags. Then, cut the peppers and onions and put them in another freezer bag and freeze them. Then, on cooking day, follow the recipe without thawing anything and add the tomatoes and seasonings! So easy!