Crockpot Turkey Sausage ‘n Peppers Marinara

Simple yet hearty, this classic Italian comfort food meal is lightened up with the use of ground turkey and turkey sausage. This dish is the perfect choice for tailgating parties and potlucks or for mid-week dinners with lots of yummy leftovers.

Recipe adapted from: Cooking Light Magazine, March 2011

Servings: 6 to 8

Author: Linda Shapiro, © Meal Planning Maven

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 red bell peppers chopped
3 carrots chopped
5 cloves garlic chopped
2 pounds ground turkey mix of white and dark meat (or 3 pounds if not using sausage)
1 pound mild or hot Italian turkey sausage casings removed*
1/4 cup tomato paste
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes undrained
28 ounce can tomato puree
8 ounces tomato sauce without sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth stir in additional after cooking if sauce seems too thick
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried fennel optional
2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt sausage provides extra sodium, so you may not need it
Crushed red pepper to taste optional (a little goes a long way!)

1 pound box dry whole-wheat or gluten-free spaghetti
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

*To remove sausage casings: with a sharp paring knife, make a slit down the side of each sausage. Pop out the sausage meat. Discard casings.

Instructions

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
Sauté onion, peppers and carrots for about 5 minutes or until softened and lightly browned. Stir in garlic; continuing sautéing for 1 minute. Transfer vegetable mixture to crockpot.
In same skillet, sauté ground turkey and sausage for 4 minutes or until browned and crumbled. Drain any accumulated fat.
Place turkey mixture on top of vegetables in crockpot. Stir in remaining ingredients. (except spaghetti and Parmesan cheese)
Cover and cook on High setting for 1 hour and Low setting for about 6 hours or until sauce has thickened. (can also cook on Low setting for about 7 hours) As crockpots vary, adjust cooking time if needed. Remove bay leaves.
Taste; adjust salt and seasonings as desired. (Stir in additional chicken broth if sauce seems too thick.)
About 15 minutes before serving, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Serve over hot spaghetti. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Make Ahead and Storage Tips: if desired, this dish may be prepared in the crockpot (and not cooked) up to 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Cook as directed; allowing additional time as mixture will be cold. (probably up to an hour longer) Leftovers may be reheated in the crockpot on Low, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour or until hot. For faster reheating, transfer to a large pot; cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This dish may be frozen for up to 4 months.

Stove-top Directions: in a 6-quart stockpot, sauté vegetables as above; remove to a bowl. In same pot, sauté ground turkey and sausage; drain. Add reserved vegetable mixture to pot. Stir in remaining ingredients (except spaghetti and Parmesan cheese) Cover; cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover, simmer for about 45 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Proceed as above.

This dish is very versatile! Great served over any type of pasta, rice, greens or spaghetti squash. Try making it with lean ground beef and with or without sausage. Leftovers would be great on a sandwich or even a pizza!