I am married to a man who loves bell peppers. Like, obsessed with them. I am a woman who loves cheese. If you’ve read any of my shopping trips, you know this. I’ll cut corners anywhere I find them, except when it comes to cheese. Don’t mess with my cheese.
This Stuffed Pepper recipes is a perfect marriage of our two great loves, combined with our great likes, sausage and tomato, for a meal that is hand picked perfect for the B Family. In addition to being the best of all worlds, this recipe has the added bonus of being gluten free, for my folks who are staying away from carbs.
As if that wasn’t enough, it’s incredibly easy to make. Part of this recipe includes making your own marinara. No more jar stuff for you! You’re like a fancy chef now. My marinara is incredibly easy to make, and you can use it for other recipes like spaghetti or lasagna. So not only are you learning how to make delicious peppers, you’re expanding your skill set by learning how to make a sauce that’ll compliment many meals. And once you get he hang of it, feel free to edit the seasoning as you see fit. I promise it won’t hurt my feelings.
You’ll Need: a 9×13 pan (I use a pyrex, but any variety will do), a slotted spoon, a good spatula, a large pan
Ingredients
- 4 Bell Peppers (I use the orange, yellow because I like the sweetness, but red and green work, too!)
- 1 pound bulk sausage
- 2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 can 14 oz petite diced tomatoes
- 1 can 14 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 or 1 cup of chicken stock (depending on preferred thickness)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 7 cloves (3.5 tsp) minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (omit if you don’t like a little heat)
Heat your pan on medium and separate that sausage into smallish pieces.
Cook sausage in heated pan until completely browned.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pan.
Add 1/4 olive oil to pan.
Add 7 cloves of garlic. Let cook until browned.
Add petite diced tomatoes. Stir well.
Add 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of basil, and 1/4 red pepper flakes. Stir well.
Add crushed tomatoes. So much adding.
Stir well. So much stirring.
Add sausage back into pan. Guess what comes next? You got it. Stir well!
Add chicken stock. For a thicker, chunkier sauce go with 1/2 cup. I do 1 cup, and I like a saucier sauce. ;) You can add bit by bit and stop at your own discretion when you hit a consistency you like. Making executive decisions like a boss chef!
Put heat on low and let simmer while you work on your peppers.
Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
Cut peppers in half.
Empty your peppers of seeds and other insidey stuff ( insidey stuff- technical term).
Place peppers in your dish.
Fill your peppers with sauce.
Pour remaining sauce on the bottom of the pan. Depending on the thickness you went with, you might have more sauce than you’re comfortable putting on the bottom of the pan. That’s okay. Save it for later. As in 20 minutes from now, when you can use it to top your peppers. My kids eat it solo, because it’s that delicious. Up to you!
Sprinkle cheese all over. Don’t be sad if some gets in the pan. It will come out all bubbly and scrumptious. I said 2-3 cups, but it’s really dependent on how much you like cheese. Maybe you want 4 cups. I won’t judge.
Into the oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven. Cheese should be bubbling and slightly browned.
Let cool for 5 minutes, and then do your best not to eat all of the cheesy, meaty, saucy peppers.
I’d love to hear if you try the recipe! Are you a casual cheese and pepper fan, or are a next level devotee? Tell me all about it in the comments!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey three years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!
Samantha B says
This is so flavorful and delicious! It is a huge hit with my whole family. Thanks for sharing!