Italian Chicken with Sausage & Peppers

Colleen: "Now here I go again making a crock pot dish that requires cooking before hand. In case you haven't been keeping up, I think it's stupid.. That's right STUPID. Cooking something before its supposed to go into the crock pot to be cooked all day makes absolutely zero sense! What's the point of a lazy crock pot dinner if you have to do a lot of work?? But I did and I liked it, I added rice & corn, so it kinda seemed like Jambalaya to me (that's a southern dish for those of you who don't know) it was a lot of extra work but I guess it was worth it, I don't know if I will add this recipe to my normal routine but maybe a few times a year."

this is one of the ugliest pictures i've taken! 

2 1/2 lbs chicken pieces (I used breasts with bone in & skin)
2 tbls olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 lbs sweet italian sausage
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (19 oz) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil (was out of, so didn't use)
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper

1. Rinse chicken; pat dry. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down. Cook about 10 minutes, turning to brown both side. Remove and reserve. 
2. Add sausage to skillet and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Remove and cut into 1-inch pieces; reserve. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. 
3. Add bell peppers, onion, carrot and garlic to skillet. Cook 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. 
4. Add tomato sauce, tomato soup, oregano, basil, and bay leaf; stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to slow cooker. 
5. Add chicken and sausage to slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low 6 to 8 hours or on High 4 to 6 hours. Remove and discard bay leaf before serving. 

Recipe sourced from Rival Crock Pot Slow Cooker Recipes