Sausage Stuffed Peppers
These sausage stuffed peppers are a wholesome meal packed with Italian sausage, spinach, ricotta, and rice, topped with melted parmesan. Perfectly seasoned and baked to fork-tender perfection, they are easy to prepare, adaptable, and a family favorite at the dinner table.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 6 large bell peppers any color
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage *see note
- 8 ounces frozen spinach thawed and squeezed of excess water (**see note)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup whole milk ricotta
- 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese divided
- 1 cup cooked rice
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Slice the tops off of each pepper and remove the core and seeds.
- Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the shallots and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until softened. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook until browned, breaking up with a spatula as it cooks. Add the thawed spinach and spices to the pan, stir to combine.
- Add the chicken broth, let the mixture simmer for 2 minutes then add the ricotta, 1 cup of the parmesan cheese and the rice. Stir until everything is well combined. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Spoon the filling into each pepper filling them all the way to the top and arrange in a baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 35 minutes until the peppers are fork tender.
- Remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese on top of each pepper then return to the oven to bake for another 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly on top.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- If you can’t find ground, use links but remove the casing.
- Be diligent about squeezing all excess water from the thawed spinach otherwise the
filling will end up watery. Alternatively, use 10 ounces of fresh baby spinach.
Nutrition
Serving: 1SERVING | Calories: 760kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 1908mg | Potassium: 1023mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 12703IU | Vitamin C: 235mg | Calcium: 519mg | Iron: 4mg