Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, onion, and bell pepper (and mushrooms if desired). Cook about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add crushed garlic and tomato paste stir to coat everything with tomato paste. Cook 5 minutes more stirring constantly.

Dump both cans of tomatoes and tomato sauce into a 5 quart crock pot. Add cooked veggie mixture and all remaining ingredients except meats. Stir to thoroughly combine.

Add ground beef, stir gently to combine. Nestle whole sausages down into sauce until covered. Place lid on crock pot. Cook on low for 5 hours.

At 5 hours, remove sausages, cut to 1/2-1 inch slices. Return to sauce, stir to combine. Turn crock pot up to high, cook with lid offset for 1 additional hour to thicken sauce a little. Serve over pasta of choice (remove bay leaves before serving). Enjoy!

Note: This makes enough that I freeze about half for another night!