Stuffed Mini Peppers Witalian Sausage Recipes

ITALIAN SAUSAGE STUFFED MINI PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Slice each mini sweet pepper in half lengthwise, then slice/scoop out the pith and seeds and discard. Place each pepper half on a sheet pan with the cut-side up.
• Once all of the peppers are on the pan, lightly drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 7 minutes to slightly soften them up, then set aside. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) once the peppers are done.
• Add Italian sausage to a pan set over medium heat, breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks. Once fully cooked (no longer pink), transfer sausage crumbles to a paper-towel lined plate to cool.
• Clean out pan to use again. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and set it over medium/low heat. Once heated add diced onion and cook for 5-6 minutes, then add garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and tender. Remove the pan from the heat.
• In a medium mixing bowl, add cooked and crumbled sausage, sauteed onion and garlic mixture, cream cheese, 1 ounce (about ⅓ cup) of the shredded cheese, parsley, basil, and crushed red pepper. Stir well to break up the cream cheese until all ingredients in the filling mixture are evenly combined.
• If you find excess liquid has pooled in the peppers as they've cooled, you may wish to blot it before stuffing them so the filling doesn't slide around. Stuff each pepper half with the filling, pressing it into the peppers well. Top evenly with the remaining shredded cheese.
• Bake (now at 350°F) for 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the stuffed mini peppers are heated well throughout. Serve warm.

ITALIAN-STYLE STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a roasting pan (large enough to accommodate 8 pepper halves in a single layer) with cooking spray.
• Combine the ground sirloin, Italian sausage, brown rice, Italian seasonings, salt, pepper, garlic, Parmesan cheese, egg, and 1/2 cup Classico® Tomato & Basil sauce in a large bowl. Mix until combined.
• Divide meat mixture evenly among the green pepper halves; press to compress slightly. Arrange halves in prepared pan. Spoon the remaining Classico® Tomato & Basil sauce onto the tops of the meat and peppers. Cover tightly with foil.
• Bake until the peppers are soft and internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees F, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove from oven. Remove foil and top each pepper with shredded cheese.
• Turn oven to broil. Place peppers, uncovered under the broiler. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

SWEET AND SPICY SAUSAGE AND MINI RAINBOW PEPPERS

Steps:

• Add peppers, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, granulated garlic, salt and pepper to a large skillet and toss to coat. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and saute the peppers until they start to get slightly tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Nestle in the sausages amongst the peppers and lower the heat to low, then cover and gently simmer until the sausages are about 145 degrees F, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove the sausage from the skillet and grill until charred and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes. Place back in the skillet with the mini sweet peppers and serve.

CHEESY SAUSAGE-STUFFED MINI PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a small frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds. Add Jimmy Dean sausage and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until browned, stirring frequently to break up the sausage into small pieces, then drain. Remove the sausage and set aside.
• To the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and reduce heat to medium. Add diced mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes, until mushrooms are softened and brown.
• In a bowl, mix the sausage and mushrooms with the rice and parsley, and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Season to taste, and fill each bell pepper halfway with the mixture.
• Top each pepper with additional cheese, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Carefully remove the peppers from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

SAUSAGE STUFFED MINI PEPPERS

Steps:

• Brown sausage in skillet. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
• While the sausage is cooking, prepare stuffing mix according to the package directions.
• Place halved peppers on a baking sheet and preheat the broiler to high.
• Stir together stuffing mix and sausage. Scoop 1 Tablespoon of this mixture into each pepper half. Press down gently with your finger to fill pepper. Sprinkle each filled pepper half with 2 teaspoons of cheese.
• Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.