Crock Pot Sausage and Orzo is a comfort food Italian dinner recipe for your slow cooker with spinach, peppers, mushrooms, and cheesy pasta!
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 8 ounces sliced baby portobello mushrooms
- 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
- kosher salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1 (12-ounce) can chicken broth
- 3 cups chopped, fresh spinach
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese
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Put the ground Italian sausage, onion, red pepper, mushrooms, garlic, kosher salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, marinara sauce, and chicken broth in your Crock Pot slow cooker. Turn it on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Note: You can cook the sausage in a skillet first and drain the excess grease or throw it in without cooking first.
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Break apart the sausage in the slow cooker with two forks if you didn't cook and crumble it first. Add the spinach, orzo, and heavy cream. Stir and leave it cook for another hour on low.
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Taste for seasoning and add more kosher salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and/or crushed red peppers flakes as needed. Stir in half of the Italian cheese blend right before serving and serve topped with remaining cheese.