Italian chili

This too came from pinterest.  Found it from the same slow cooker post.  It led me to amy bites.  I really liked the idea of italian chili.  I modified it a bit, adding veggies, and changing the spiciness, leaving out the noodles...  If you want spicier, try her recipe - or just add some red pepper flakes.

• 1 lb Italian sausage (we used home-made - YUM!)
• 1 cup diced onion
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15 oz can great northern beans, undrained
• 1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (or sub chicken, beef, or vegetable broth.)

Directions

1. Cook sausage, breaking up as cooking.  Drain off most of the fat leaving about a tablespoon with the sausage (there really was none to drain with our homemade sausage)  Add onion, celery, carrots, Italian seasoning, pepper, sugar and salt.  Cook for 5-8 minutes until veggies are tender.  Add garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.  Transfer to slow cooker.
2. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato paste and red wine to meat mixture in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.