Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed if neccesary

2 tsp olive oil

1 14.5oz. can diced, fire roasted tomatoes

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 cups cooked rice (See Note 1)

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or Parmigiano Reggiano)

1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

3-4 large bell peppers (See Note 2)

red pepper flakes (optional, to taste)

fresh basil or fresh parsley, to taste (optional, for serving)

Directions

Prep: With a sharp knife, cut around the stem of each bell pepper and carefully remove the stem. Then, split each pepper in half lengthwise and remove seeds and white membrane. Place them cut side up in a 9x12 (or similar) baking pan and set aside.

Cook Sausage: In a large skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil. When oil is hot, brown sausage, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks (about 3-4 minutes). Drain grease, if necessary. Pro Tip: Use a potato masher during the last couple minutes of cooking to get the meat broken up nice and fine.At this point, preheat your oven to 375°F.

Add: Add tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, chicken broth and rice. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes or until liquid is mostly gone. Then, stir in Parmesan cheese and remove pan from the heat. Make Ahead: At this point, the sausage mixture can be cooled completely, then stored in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 6 months. Stuff peppers and bake per directions below when you're ready to enjoy!

Stuff: Fill each of the pepper halves with a generous portion of the sausage mixture. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of the peppers.

Bake: Cover your baking pan with aluminum foil and bake for 25-30 minutes (or more), depending on how soft you like your peppers. Peppers are done when they can be pieced easily with a knife. Optional: Remove foil and broil for an additional 2-3 minutes until cheese is browned.

Serve: Allow peppers to cool 1-2 minutes. Then top with fresh basil or parsley and serve hot!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 whole stuffed pepper (
• Calories: 674 kcal
• Total Fat: 43.5 g
• Saturated Fat: 15.7 g
• Cholesterol: 121 mg
• Sodium: 1433 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 34.7 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.8 g
• Total Sugars: 10.9 g
• Protein: 37.7 g