A recipe for flavorful bell peppers that are stuffed with a mixture of Italian sausage, tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese and plenty of seasoning, then baked to perfection. A family favorite. Stuffed peppers are so easy to make!
More stuffed peppers coming your way. Of course! At Chili Pepper Madness, we LOVE cooking with chili peppers, and that means chili peppers of ALL types, and if I've said it once, I've said it probably ten million times by now - We LOVE stuffed peppers!
Chili peppers are the perfect vessels for all sorts of stuffing. I mean, look at them. They're hollow, right? You slice off the top and peer down into that lonely emptiness and think, this poor little thing needs some company.
Or you slice them in half right down the center and you're left with perfectly formed bowls. All you need to do is get creative.
In this case, creative doesn't have to mean complicated. In fact, it is rather easy. I went with an Italian-style stuffed bell pepper recipe this time, working with some gorgeous red and yellow bells. Green peppers would work just as well here, though I was going for some color.
Making Our Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers Recipe - The Steps
ONE: Chop up some onion, peppers and garlic. I used a jalapeno pepper and serrano pepper this time, though you can vary up the choice of chili peppers to include here based on your tastes and heat preference. More on that below. I have made this with MANY different peppers.
TWO: Cook them down in a pan with olive oil about 5 minutes, then add the Italian sausage down, breaking it up with a spoon, another 5 minutes or so, until it is cooked through.
THREE: Add in the tomato sauce, basil and seasonings and stir it up to get it all incorporated. Reduce the heat and let it simmer about 10 minutes to let the flavors develop.
FOUR: Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. I used a cup here, though you can easily add in a bit more if you'd like.
FIVE: Slice the bell pepper in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides.
SIX: Blanch the pepper halves in boiling water for 2-3 minutes to soften them up a bit. You CAN skip this step if you'd like, but I find that blanching the thicker-walled bell peppers makes for a softer finished stuffed pepper.
SEVEN: Set the peppers into a baking dish and stuff them with your Italian sausage mixture.
EIGHT: Pour a bit of water into the pan to about 1 inch in height and bake the peppers for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are softened up and cooked through to your liking.
NINE: Remove from heat. Sprinkle them with chopped parsley and spicy chili flakes and serve them up!
About the Chili Peppers
As mentioned, I used a serrano and jalapeno pepper this time for a bit of spicy heat. The previous version of this recipe used a jalapeno and an Anaheim pepper. Still great.
If you're looking for a HOTTER version of this recipe, incorporate a habanero pepper or 2, or something hotter, like a ghost pepper or scorpion pepper. Go for the heat!
You can also easily dial back the heat by using a milder pepper, such as an Italian sweet or even another bell pepper.
Check Out Some of My Other Popular Stuffed Peppers Recipes
- Cream Cheese Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers - Mexican Style
- Cajun Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- Cajun Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- Caribbean Coconut Rice and Shrimp Stuffed Peppers
- Spicy Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
- Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Peppers
Patty's Perspective
This was a nice and hearty meal. Very meaty. I personally enjoy the red and yellow bells that we use, but I also like that chili pepper heat, so I was glad Mike added the jalapeno pepper. It was perfect.
I hope you enjoy them!
Got any questions? Ask away! I'm happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
Easy Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 2 large bell peppers – I used a red and an orange bell
- 12 ounces Italian sausage
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 serrano pepper chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic chopped
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp paprika
- ½ cup fresh basil chopped (a couple tablespoons dried basil is fine)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Chopped parsley and chili pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large pan to medium heat and add a bit of olive oil. Add the onion and peppers and cook about 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the garlic and stir. Cook another minute.
- Add the Italian sausage and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook it down, stirring a bit, about 5 minutes, or until it is cooked through.
- Add the paprika, tomato sauce, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Stir. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes or longer.
- Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in Parmesan cheese and mix well.
- Slice the bell peppers in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and boil the halved peppers about 5 minutes to soften.
- Stuff each pepper with your sausage-cheese mixture and set them into a baking dish.
- Add about a half inch of water to the baking dish and bake at 350 F. for about 30 minutes, or until the peppers are softened and the stuffing mixture is nicely heated. You can leave it in longer if needed for even softer peppers.
- Remove from heat and garnish with parsley and chili pepper flakes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Recipe originally published on 6/5/2015. UPDATED 6/7/2018.
imsen says
Healthy and delicious. Also they freeze well for a make ahead meal.This is delicious! This will be made often!5 stars
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome!! Thanks for sharing!
David says
Made a green version of this with green bell peppers, jalapenos, and cayennes, and used a green jalapeno hot sauce in place of tomato sauce. Worked well, but since I'm a lazy cook, it was a bit more effort and time than I usually want to expend on dinner (unless I'm ending up with roast meat), so this will be an occasional thing for me. Easy recipe to follow, though, and my second from CPM within a week. Thanks, Mike.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Glad you enjoyed it overall, David. Thanks. Much appreciated.
Kim says
Is this a keto friendly diet???
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Kim, a single serving is roughly 12 grams of carbs, so it would be pretty keto friendly, depending on the levels you're shooting for. If you want even fewer, most of the carbs are in the peppers themselves, and also the onions and tomato sauce. You could reduce the onions and sauce and increase the sausage.
greg says
Hi Michael, I tried your recipe adding a bit of leftover vegetable paella from the day before to the mix of sausage meat I drained first and bang, ANOTHER WINNER! A squeeze of fresh lemon juice topped it off. I love the inspiration your recipies give me. Thanks.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Perfect, Greg! I love it! I love the pairing.
Randy Bucsok says
Awesome recipe but I'm trying to figure out where the 12 carbs are coming from
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Randy. According to my nutrition calculator (which is all estimated), most of the carbs are in the peppers and the tomato sauce, with a bit in the parmesan cheese. I hope this helps.
steve crawford says
Looks great. Some versions have a tomato sauce included. I tried a version of condensed tomato soup with a touch of water added.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sounds perfect, Steve!
Nathalie says
Tried this on my family and they liked it.. even my picky little one! It will be a family favourite!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
That's GREAT, Nathalie! Super happy to hear!
Bake Play Smile says
What a great recipe!! Sausages are a bit of a staple here - so this will be the perfect way to mix them up a bit! Thanks for linking up with our Fabulous Foodie Fridays party. xx
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Absolutely!
R. C. Leitz says
Good recipe, simple to prepare, excellent flavor.
I realized early on, my bell peppers must have been twice as large as called for.
Double batched the stuffing mixture ( not a problem, this time ),and enjoyed
some truly fine stuffed peppers.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Glad it turned out! Thanks for stopping by!