Pizza Soup - It's What's For Dinner

There are several variations on this recipe - so feel free to make it your own.  The basic premise is anything and everything that you put on top of a pizza can go into the soup.  Be creative.  Have fun.  ENJOY!!  (And I'd be a TERRIBLE person without giving much kudos to Charlotte Price who originally shared this recipe with the Richard Skipper State Farm Agency.  SALUTE!)

PIZZA SOUP

• 1 onion, diced
•  1 green pepper, diced
•  8 oz mushrooms, sliced
•  Garlic (totally depends on how much you like garlic - I tend to use a lot which means I have a healthy heart)
• 1 16 oz. roll of Jimmy Dean Sausage (original recipe calls for 2, but it's WAY too much in my opinion).  If you want it spicy use the hot Italian version.  Sage works well too.  Maple is disgusting.  I generally use the plain, original (cause I'm just a plain, original girl).
• 1 package Hormel pepperoni (I use turkey pepperoni - it has a wee bit more spice to it for some reason and it just sounds like I'm trying to be a tad bit more healthy)
• 2 BIG cans of diced tomatoes
• 2 regular sized cans of diced tomatoes (I usually use the ones that have some sort of flavoring to 'em.  Onion and green pepper or something - but again, the choice is yours)

In a large pan, saute the onion, green pepper, mushrooms and garlic.  Remove from pan and place in crockpot.

Brown sausage.  Drain WELL.  (But make sure you get all the little brown bits off of the bottom of the pan - those are YUMMY in this soup!)  Add to crockpot.

Slice pepperoni pieces into strips (this is just a personal thing - you can leave them as they are).  Add to crockpot.

Add tomatoes and stir well.

Cook on low for... oh I dunno... 6 hours?  The original recipe had it being cooked on the stove top - which you can TOTALLY do - I just like doing it in the crockpot.  If you're in a semi-hurry, you can cook it in the crockpot on high for about 3 hours.

Serve with garlic toast and mozzarella cheese.

ENJOY!!

Now here's where you make it your own.  Don't like sausage?  Use ground beef, make mini meatballs, whatever!  Skip the pepperoni and double the sausage/ground beef.  I HATE green peppers so I rarely use those.  Add olives.  Don't add olives.  What do you like on your pizza?  Put it in the soup!  (I double dog dare ya to make a ham/pineapple version.  If you do - let me know!)