Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers
These Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers are the perfect blend of hot Italian sausage, aromatic herbs, fresh bell peppers, and cheesy goodness in this easy-to-make recipe. Perfect for weeknight dinners or special occasions!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 565kcal
Equipment
- 9-inch oval baking dish (or a dish to fit all of your peppers, this dish fits 5 peppers)
- large skillet (12-inch diameter or larger)
Ingredients
- 5-6 medium bell peppers, with the tops cut off and cleaned inside. Reserve the fleshy parts from the tops and chop them up to use in the filling (the number of bell peppers you need will depend on the size of them)
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil (use as needed)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
- 10 cloves garlic, minced (can use more or less depending on how much you like garlic!)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 1 cup cooked white rice
- ½ - 1 cup chicken broth (as needed)
- handful of fresh basil, cut into ribbons (optional)
- 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 ounces shredded parmesan cheese (or freshly grated)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. If making rice the day of, do this first. Prepare it according to package directions and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Once the skillet is hot and the oil is glistening, add in the onions and red bell pepper with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, until the peppers and onions are beginning to soften. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- Next, add in the garlic, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, red pepper flakes to taste, and 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, stirring often to prevent the garlic from burning. Cook until the tomato paste has deepened in color, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons more olive oil as needed, followed by the Italian sausage. Cook and break up the sausage into small pieces, stirring occasionally until the meat is completely cooked through.
- Add in the can of diced tomatoes, followed by ½ - 1 cup of chicken broth as needed, and 1 cup of cooked white rice. Simmer until the liquid is mostly absorbed, about 5-6 minutes, then add in fresh basil if desired and stir to wilt. This should take about 1 minute.
- Add in about half (3 ounces) of the shredded mozzarella and (2 ounces) parmesan, and remove the skillet from the heat. Stir to melt the cheese. At this point, adjust seasonings to ensure they are to your liking.
- Add the bell peppers to a baking dish upright, and sprinkle the insides with just a little bit of salt. Spoon them full of the filling. Sprinkle the remaining cheese mozzarella cheese (3 ounces) and parmesan cheese (2 ounces) over top of the peppers.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the peppers can be pierced with a fork, and they are softened to your liking. The cheese should be golden brown on top. If desired, you can broil on high for 2-3 minutes to get the cheese nice and crispy.
- Garnish with more freshly grated parmesan cheese, and basil before digging in. Enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat gently in the microwave, oven, or air fryer. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 2 months, though it is better to freeze the peppers before baking if possible, to help the cheese maintain proper texture.
Notes
-
- Prep ahead. Cook the rice a day or so in advance, and prep all of your ingredients beforehand to make assembly quick and easy.
- To prep and freeze. You can prepare the peppers in advance (just don't bake them prior to freezing for best results) and freeze them for a convenient meal later on. Just add a bit more cooking time if baking from frozen. These will last in the freezer for at least 3-4 months.
- Choose uniform peppers. Select peppers that are roughly the same size and shape for even cooking.
- Blanch the peppers for a softer bite. If you'd like, you can parboil or blanch the peppers for a few minutes before stuffing to soften them slightly and reduce overall cooking time if you prefer your peppers to be a bit softer.
- Layer flavors. Don't skip sautéing onion, pepper pieces, garlic, and tomato paste before adding in the other ingredients. This step creates an incredible base of flavor.
- Choose the right baking dish or support the peppers to stand upright. Choose a baking dish that keeps the peppers upright, or create foil 'nests' to hold them in place. You can also cut a small slice off the bottom of the peppers to help them sit flat. The size of the dish you use will depend on how many peppers you end up stuffing. This recipe fills between 5-6 bell peppers, just depending on how large they are. We use this 9-inch oval baking dish, and it fits 5 peppers.
- Feel free to use mild, sweet, or hot Italian sausage to suit your preferences.
- For low carb, omit the rice or substitute with cauliflower rice.
- For dairy free, use your favorite dairy-free cheese.
- For vegan, use dairy free cheese, a vegan Italian sausage substitute, and vegetable broth.
Nutrition
Calories: 565kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 1670mg | Potassium: 772mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4384IU | Vitamin C: 165mg | Calcium: 445mg | Iron: 3mg