What can I say about stuffed bell peppers that hasn’t already been said? It’s a very hearty and healthy meal. (Well, healthy sans sausage. But you could definitely trade the sausage out for ground turkey, but be sure to add a little more flavor if you go that route). It’s a fairly simple recipe, but it does take time. Patience is a true virtue in this recipe. You could speed up the process by blanching the bell pepper halves, but I prefer this recipe low and slow.
I’m keeping it short today—you’re welcome! But, before I go, I am legally obligated to tell you that Chloe loved these bell peppers! She gives them an 8/10!
Notes
Wine Pairing Suggestions
A nice, chilled bottle of rose.
Yes, really! The spicy sauce and sweet sausage make rose a very nice pair for this dish. If you're not a rose fan, try a light Pinot Noir or Zinfandel. Both are very fruity and bound to be a nice compliment to the tangy sausage in this dish.
Italian Stuffed Bell Peppers
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 ½ cups cooked white rice (½ cup uncooked white rice cooked with 1 cup water)
2 large bell peppers, any color
1 small onion
5 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground sweet Italian sausage
1 tsp cayenne pepper
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Parsley (optional)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Begin by cooking the rice according to package directions.
Next, prepare the vegetables by halving and de-seeding the bell peppers, dicing the onion and mincing the garlic.
In a medium saucepan, cook the sausage on medium heat until it’s cooked through. Move it to a large bowl and set that aside.
Next, add the olive oil and diced onions to the saucepan and cook until they’re softened. Put them in the same large bowl as the sausage and set that aside.
In the same pan on medium heat, add tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir for about 1 minute. Pour the sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish. Set that aside.
In the large bowl with onions and sausage, add the cooked rice, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Separate the mixture into 4 even portions and stuff the bell peppers with the mixture.
Place the prepared bell peppers into the baking dish with the sauce poured into the bottom. Optionally sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
Serve with an optional garnish of parsley and enjoy!
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