Hearty Italian Sandwiches - from the Crockpot

Yesterday I cooked another crockpot dish; this one has got to be one of my favorites. It's so easy, and so yummy, and can easily be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd. I just make a small batch, because even then we have some leftovers.

Hearty Italian Sandwiches


2 mild/sweet link Italian sausages
3/4 lb. lean ground beef
1 med. onion, thinly sliced
1 large green or red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 large tomato diced (or about a cup of diced canned tomatoes)
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 t crushed red pepper
1 c burgundy or water
4 crusty sandwich rolls (you could use hoagie rolls, if you want)
1 c grated mozzarella cheese

Remove the sausage from its casings, and brown with the ground beef, breaking all the meat up into smaller bits. Layer half of the onion and bell pepper in the crockpot, then top with the meat. Put the rest of the onion and bell pepper on top of the meat, then the tomatoes. Sprinkle all with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook on low 6-7 hours, checking after 3-4 hours. If it appears to be drying out, add some of the wine or water.

Split the sandwich rolls, and divide the meat mixture evenly among them. Top each with 1/4 cup cheese. (I usually pop the completed sandwiches in a 350˚ oven for about 5 minutes to crisp up the rolls and melt the cheese, but it's not mandatory.
4 Servings.

food & drink