Michelle's Sausage and Peppers Stew

Ingredients

2-3 pkg Italian sausages in casings (mild,hot or sweet)
3-4 organic red peppers (sprinkle lightly with sugar)
Fresh basil leaves to taste (I like a lot)
3 garlic cloves (or more) finely chopped
Olive oil
28 oz can Hunts diced or petite diced tomatoes
Campbell's tomato juice
Crusty sourdough baguette
Whole milk Mozzarella cheese grated

Instructions

Wash, core and slice red peppers lengthwise in 1/2 inch strips and sprinkle lightly with a little sugar. Set aside.
Finely dice garlic and set aside
Heat olive oil in Dutch oven and brown sausages in batches of 5 getting a nice char on casings and pot. Sausages will not be cooked thru. Remove from pan leaving the char and olive oil in pan (add more oil if needed) this is going to look burnt but adds a smoky flavor to dish.
Lightly pat dry peppers with paper towel and add to hot oil. Stir and cook peppers until pretty soft and browned bits from sausage deglaze from pan. Once peppers are as soft as you want to eat them add garlic til softened but not brown
Return browned sausages to pot
Add canned tomatoes in juice (don't drain)
Pour enough tomato juice into pot to cover all ingredients like a stew or soup.
Lower heat and let simmer slowly. This can simmer for 20 min or a couple hrs on low. Julienne fresh basil and add to stew 10 -20 min. before serving. Serve with toasted sourdough bread and grated whole milk mozzarella
Better the next day.

Very forgiving recipe can add more or less to taste.
If sauce is too acidic add a little sugar cautiously.
2 sausages for every pepper
Add another can of tomatoes If using 15 sausages or more.