Italian Sausage Vegetable Chili Cheese Bread

This dinner is out of this world amazing. 

And, the crockpot does virtually all the work.  It’s perfect for a chilly winter night. 

Don’t let the cheese bread part of this recipe title fool you, it’s a hearty chili, that is perfectly tasty on its own.  But, if you want a real treat, serve it on that French bread.  Oh. My! 

Frog Prince and I ate every crumb. 

Italian Sausage Vegetable Chili Cheese Bread 

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French Bread
• Monterrey Jack Cheese, slices (1-2 per piece of bread)
• 1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage
• 4 medium bell peppers (green, red, yellow and orange)
• 1 onion
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 medium zucchini, quartered
• 4 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. dried minced garlic
• 1 tsp. basil*
• 1 tsp. oregano*
• *Or, 2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Directions

Begin by browning the Italian sausage until cooked through.  Drain. 

Place the ground Italian sausage in the bottom of your crockpot. 

Slice the bell peppers into thin strips, and then cut them in half so you have 1/4 of an inch x 2 inch strips.  Quarter the onion and add that along with the bell peppers to the crockpot. 

Add in the quartered zucchini and sliced mushrooms. 

If you don’t like mushrooms, leave them out… but don’t let that keep you from making this delicious dinner. 

Add in 2 tsp. Italian seasoning, or 1 tsp. each – basil and oregano, and 1/2 tsp. dried minced garlic (about 3 cloves). 

Then, stir in the tomatoes. 

Cover and cook on low for 4-4.5 hours, until veggies are tender.   

30 minutes before dinner, add in the 2 tsp. tomato paste and cover. 

Slice up the French bread and spritz lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic powder, if desired.  Toast the bread under the broiler for 1 minute, just so that the bread gets warmed and a little crunchy on the top. 

When the chili is ready, use a slotted spoon to scoop 1-2 spoonfuls of chili onto each piece of bread. 

Top with cheese slices. 

Return to the broiler for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully to be sure the cheese and bread does not burn. 

Serve warm.

Leftovers are great just as a standard chili or re-assembled into cheese bread.  It’s best to make up just what you plan to eat to keep the leftovers delicious.