Stuffed Italian Peppers

Classic stuffed Italian peppers .  There’s so many ways to stuff peppers, I think you will love the simple flavors in this version.

It all comes down to the hearty stuffing in this dish that’s flavored with great Italian ingredients.

What Makes Italian Stuffed Peppers So Good…

It’s the beef and Italian sausage combination, along with a garlicky tomato sauce and flavorful beef stock.

This recipe is for the stuffed peppers only so make sure to have some good sauce on hand as well as some quality beef broth.  They are both mixed into the stuffing to keep it super moist during the baking process.

All the ingredients:

1. 6 bell peppers – Any color is fine.  Red and Yellow tend to be sweeter, but green are always great.
2. 1/2 cup grated mozzarella – For topping the peppers and totally optional.
3. 1 cup parmigiano reggiano – Good quality parmesan or pecorino can be substituted.
4. 3/4 pound ground beef – 90/10 is good.
5. 3/4 pound ground Italian sausage – Go for sweet with or without fennel.  If you like it hot by all means use spicy Italian sausage.
6. 10 cloves garlic
7. 2 cups cooked white rice
8. 1 cup low sodium beef stock
9. 4 cups tomato sauce – make a quick garlicky sauce or use a good quality brand.
10. 1 cup water
11. 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
12. salt, pepper, crushed red pepper
13. 1 tsp dried oregano
14. olive oil – For sauteeing and drizzling on top of peppers.

How To Make Stuffed Peppers Step By Step:

1. Get some nice bell peppers.  Using a variety of colors yields a great presentation.
2. Picture of the parsley, mozzarella, parmigiano reggiano, and garlic.
3. Chop the garlic and the parsley.
4. Saute the garlic on medium heat in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 1-2 minutes.

5. Add the beef and ground sausage and saute until cooked through.  Break up any large pieces with a wooden spoon.
6. While the meat is sauteing grate the mozzarella.
7. Grate the parmigiano reggiano.
8. The meat should take about 15 minutes.  Turn off heat and drain all but about a 1/4 cup of fat from the pan.

9. Add the parmigiano and rice to the pan.
10. Add the 1 cup of sauce, 1 cup of beef broth, parsley, oregano, 1 tsp of kosher salt, and pepper to taste.  If you want crushed red pepper, add it now.
11. Mix the stuffing thoroughly.  It will be really wet, which will help the peppers stay moist during the baking process.  Taste test and adjust salt and pepper before stuffing the peppers.
12. Cut the tops off the peppers and remove seeds and core.  Season the inside of the peppers with salt and pepper then stuff.  The peppers can be cut in half lengthwise for stuffing as well.  Either way works great!
13. Place 3 cups of tomato sauce and 1 cup of water in a baking dish.  Stuff the peppers and place in the baking dish.  Top each pepper with the mozzarella.  Drizzle some olive oil on top of each pepper and bake the peppers covered with foil for 1 hour at 350.
14. After 1 hour test peppers for doneness.  Depending on their size, they could take up to 30 minutes longer.  They should be really tender and soft – close to falling apart.  Broil for 2 minutes, if desired, to get them crisp on top.  Spoon the pan sauce over the peppers and serve.  A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on each pepper wouldn’t hurt either.  Serve with extra grated cheese and a loaf of Italian bread to mop up the pan sauce.

So stuffed peppers with beef and sausage are pretty easy to make.  Essentially, it’s making a flavorful filling, stuffing them, then baking and waiting.  Make sure to take the time to let them really cook through.  I love them when they are close to that fall apart stage!

Some Common Concerns:

How To Soften The Peppers To Speed Up Cooking:

The peppers can be boiled for 3-5 minutes to speed up the cooking time considerably.  If time is really constrained, make the pepper stuffing and boil the cut and cleaned peppers at the same time.  Boiling them can save about 30 minutes.

Stuffed Peppers Are Bland:

One very important step is to season the peppers with salt and pepper before stuffing.  The salt will penetrate the interior walls of the pepper and create a much more flavorful stuffed pepper.

Substitutions:

Rice can be substituted with quinoa, barley, or faro.  If you want to do all sausage go for it,  I have done it that way with great success.  Omit or add some more herbs like basil or thyme if desired.  This classic Italian stuffed pepper recipe is a great starting point, but feel free to make changes.

Stuffed Italian Peppers Difficulty Level:

On a 1-5 scale with 1 being easy this recipe is a 2.  The two things to keep in mind are:

1. Seasoning – After the stuffing is prepared, taste it and make any changes to salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper.  It can’t be done after they are stuffed, so make sure the mixture is seasoned real well before stuffing them.  Also, remember to season the interior cavity of the peppers with salt and pepper liberally because the peppers can be bland without following that step.
2. Cooking Time – A stuffed pepper can take a long time to bake properly in the oven.  1 hour covered at 350 is a good starting point,  but depending on how stuffed and how big the bell peppers are, they could take 15-30 minutes longer.  Like I said above, boiling them for 5 minutes or so can save 30 minutes of baking time.  Keep that in mind if time is tight.  Also, preparing the peppers in advance and refrigerating them can be real helpful for during the week.

What To Serve With Stuffed Peppers:

These Stuffed Italian Peppers are quite filling and substantial.  Something real light like a salad would pair well.  These Delicious Italian Vegetables With Lemon Caper Sauce would be a perfect light veggie dish to accompany the stuffed peppers.  And better yet, they can be roasted in the oven along with the peppers.

Another good side are these Green Beans Almondine With Feta Recipe.  They would really bring a nice balance to the super hearty and filling stuffed peppers.

Check Out These Other Great Italian Recipes:

• Shrimp Oreganata Recipe
• Chicken Sorrentino With Prosciutto And Eggplant
• Pasta Fagioli
• Beef Braciole With Raisins
• White Pizza Recipe

Drink Recommendations:

A nice white wine like Pinot Grigio would go great with the peppers.  If you’re in the mood for a cocktail look no further than this Classic Negroni.

DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE?

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Stuffed Italian Peppers

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Servings: 6

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Ingredients

• 6 large bell peppers
• 1/2 cup grated mozzarella
• 1 cup parmigiano reggiano
• 3/4 cup ground beef
• 3/4 cup ground Italian sausage
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 10 cloves garlic
• 1 cup low sodium beef stock
• 4 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350f and set rack to middle.  Grate both cheeses.  Mince garlic cloves and chop parsley.  Saute garlic on medium heat in a large pan with 2 Tbsp olive oil.
• After 1 minute add the beef and sausage.  Break apart any large pieces with a wooden spoon and saute for 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat and drain all but 1/4 cup of the meat fat.
• Add the parmigiano reggiano, cooked rice, 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup beef broth, parsley, oregano, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 cup crushed red pepper to pan.  Mix thoroughly and taste stuffing now and adjust with more salt or pepper if necessary. 
• While the stuffing is cooling, cut tops off peppers and remove seeds and core.  Season the interior of the peppers with remaining 1 tsp of kosher salt and some black pepper. 
• Place 3 cups sauce and 1 cup of water into baking dish.  Stuff the peppers and place into dish.  The sauce should come up about 1-2 inches on sides of peppers.  Sprinkle the mozzarella on top of each pepper and drizzle each with olive oil.  Bake the peppers lightly covered with foil for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour check doneness.  They should be very soft, but not quite falling apart.  If they are still firm bake for 15-30 minutes longer.  During the last 2 minutes remove foil and broil if desired for a nice charred top.  Spoon the pan sauce on the peppers and serve with grated parmigiano reggiano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.  Enjoy! 

Notes

• Baking covered with foil helps keep the peppers moist.
• This recipe will most likely have extra stuffing.
• Salting the interior of the peppers is very important.
• Taste test the stuffing and adjust the seasoning before filling the peppers.

Nutrition

Calories: 522kcal | Carbohydrates: 43.8g | Protein: 30.2g | Fat: 25g | Sodium: 540mg

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