Are you searching for a hearty, satisfying, and complete meal that is packed with incredible flavor and surprisingly easy to make? A classic comfort food dinner that the whole family will absolutely love? These incredible, from-scratch Sausage Stuffed Peppers are the perfect one-dish dinner you’ve been looking for.
This isn’t just another weeknight recipe; it’s a guide to mastering a true American classic. We’ll show you the simple secrets to a perfectly tender bell pepper shell and a super-flavorful, savory, and cheesy filling. Tender, sweet bell peppers are filled to the brim with a delicious mixture of savory Italian sausage, rice, mushrooms, and herbs, then topped with a layer of gooey, melted cheese and baked to perfection. It’s a wholesome, satisfying, and complete meal, all in one beautiful, edible package.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate One-Dish Dinner
What makes these Sausage Stuffed Peppers so spectacularly delicious is their incredible, savory filling and their simple yet brilliant cooking method. The filling gets a massive head start on flavor from zesty Italian sausage, which is cooked down with classic aromatics like onion, garlic, and mushrooms. This is then combined with cooked rice and cheese to create a hearty and satisfying stuffing. The secret to a perfectly tender, not tough, bell pepper is a simple trick of baking them in a pan with a little bit of water, which steams them to soft perfection. It’s a make-ahead and freezer-friendly meal that is perfect for any night of the week.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 25 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 6 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Comfort Food Classic
This recipe uses a handful of fresh, wholesome ingredients and pantry staples to create its signature savory and comforting flavor.
- The Bell Peppers: The sweet and tender edible vessel for our delicious filling.
- What to Choose: You can use any color of bell pepper you love! Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers will be sweeter and are a beautiful, colorful choice. Green bell peppers have a more classic, slightly bitter, and savory flavor. The most important thing is to choose large peppers that have a flat bottom so they can stand up straight in the baking dish.
- The Savory Filling:
- Italian Sausage: This is the secret to a super-flavorful filling with minimal effort! Italian sausage is already seasoned with delicious spices like fennel and garlic. You can choose hot, sweet, or mild Italian sausage depending on your family’s preference.
- The Rice: This recipe is a fantastic way to use up leftover cooked rice. A brown rice and quinoa blend is a great, healthy option, but any cooked white rice, brown rice, or quinoa will work perfectly.
- The Cheese: A good, flavorful melting cheese is key. A sharp cheddar, a Monterey Jack, or an Italian blend of mozzarella and provolone are all fantastic choices. For the best, smoothest melt, it’s always recommended to shred your own cheese from a block.
Step-by-Step to the Best Stuffed Peppers
This delicious, one-pan meal is incredibly simple to prepare. We’ve also included instructions for making these in a slow cooker!
Step 1: Prepare the Bell Peppers and the Filling
Step 1: First, prepare your peppers. Slice about 1/4-inch off the top of each of your 6 large bell peppers. Remove the core, the seeds, and any white ribs from the inside.
Step 2: Arrange the hollowed-out peppers, with the cut side facing up, in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish or another pan that is large enough to fit them all.
Step 3: Preheat your oven to 375°F (191°C).
Step 4: To make the filling, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the 1/2 cup of chopped yellow onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the onion has softened.
Step 5: Add the 1 pound of Italian sausage (removed from its casings), the 1 cup of chopped mushrooms, the 3 minced garlic cloves, and all your fresh and dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Cook and break up the sausage with your spoon for about 6-7 minutes, until the sausage is almost fully cooked through. If there is a lot of excess grease in the pan, you can carefully spoon most of it out.
Step 6: Stir in the 1/2 cup of chicken broth and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese and all of the 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice.
Step 2: Stuff the Peppers and Bake to Perfection
Step 1: Spoon the prepared sausage and rice filling into each of your hollowed-out peppers, filling them all the way to the top.
Step 2 (The Secret to Tender Peppers!): Pour about 1 inch of warm water into the bottom of the baking pan, around the peppers. This is a crucial step that will create steam in the oven and is the secret to making the firm bell peppers perfectly tender and not tough or undercooked.
Step 3: Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 38 minutes, or until the peppers are nearly fork-tender.
Step 4: Carefully remove the dish from the oven. Remove the aluminum foil and evenly sprinkle the peppers with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
Step 5: Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is beautifully melted and bubbly.
Garnish the finished peppers with some additional fresh parsley, if desired. Use tongs to carefully remove the peppers from the pan and serve them warm.
The Best Hearty & Easy Sausage Stuffed Peppers
A classic recipe for a hearty sausage-stuffed peppers dinner. Large bell peppers are hollowed out and filled with a savory mixture of cooked Italian sausage, sautéed onions, mushrooms, garlic, and fresh herbs. The filling is bound together with cooked rice or quinoa and a generous amount of shredded cheese. The peppers are then baked in a casserole dish, first covered to ensure they become tender, and then finished uncovered with an additional layer of melted cheese on top.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking, Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian-American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 6 large bell peppers (any color)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 pound uncooked Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms (optional)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheese, divided
- 1 and 1/2 cups cooked rice or quinoa
Instructions
- Slice the tops off the bell peppers and remove the cores and seeds. Arrange the peppers cut-side up in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C).
- Make the Filling: Heat the olive oil and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions are soft.
- Add the sausage, mushrooms, garlic, oregano, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook for 6-7 minutes, breaking up the sausage with a spoon, until it is almost fully cooked. Drain off most of the excess grease.
- Stir in the chicken broth and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese and all of the cooked rice.
- Stuff and Bake: Spoon the filling into each prepared pepper, filling them to the top.
- Optionally, pour about 1 inch of warm water into the bottom of the pan around the peppers to help them steam and stay moist.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 35-38 minutes, or until the peppers are nearly fork-tender.
- Remove the dish from the oven, uncover it, and sprinkle the peppers with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
- Return the dish to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 5 more minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Garnish with additional parsley, if desired, and serve warm.
Notes
- Using pre-cooked rice or quinoa is a key time-saving step for the filling.
- The two-stage baking process—covered first, then uncovered—ensures the peppers become tender while allowing the cheese on top to melt and brown nicely.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Slow Cooker Instructions
To make these in a slow cooker, prepare the filling as directed in Step 1. Stuff the raw peppers and place them in your slow cooker. Add about 1/2 cup of water or broth to the bottom of the crock. Cover and cook on Low for 4-5 hours or on High for 2-3 hours. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Stuffed Peppers are the perfect make-ahead meal for a busy week or for stocking your freezer.
- Make-Ahead: You can prepare and stuff the peppers completely (but do not bake them), and store them, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to eat, simply bake them as directed, adding about 10-15 minutes to the initial covered baking time.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: These stuffed peppers freeze beautifully! You can freeze them either cooked or uncooked. Let them cool completely, then wrap them individually or store them in a freezer-safe container. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Use a Different Ground Meat: If you’re not a fan of Italian sausage, this recipe is also absolutely fantastic with an equal amount of lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken. Just be sure to add a little extra seasoning, as these ground meats are not pre-seasoned like Italian sausage.
- Make it a “Pizza” Stuffed Pepper: For a fun and kid-friendly twist, you can use ground beef in your filling, add about 1/2 cup of your favorite marinara sauce, use mozzarella cheese, and top each pepper with a few slices of mini pepperoni along with the final layer of cheese.
- Make it a Low-Carb Version: For a delicious, low-carb and keto-friendly meal, you can simply omit the rice or quinoa from the filling. To bulk it up, you can add an extra cup of chopped mushrooms or about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of cauliflower rice.
Enjoy The Ultimate One-Dish Dinner!
You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of hearty, wholesome, and delicious flavors. These classic Sausage Stuffed Peppers are a testament to the power of a simple, from-scratch meal to bring the whole family together. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new, much-requested family favorite.
We hope you enjoy every last, warm, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves a good, easy, one-pot meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What are the best bell peppers to use for stuffed peppers?
The best peppers are large, with a relatively flat bottom that allows them to stand up straight in the baking dish without tipping over. In terms of flavor, red, orange, and yellow bell peppers are much sweeter and have a milder flavor when cooked. Green bell peppers are less sweet and have a more distinct, slightly bitter, and savory flavor. All of them are delicious!
Q2: Do I need to pre-cook or pre-boil my peppers before I stuff and bake them?
No, you do not need to! The brilliant trick in this recipe is to add about an inch of water to the bottom of your baking dish. This water creates a steamy environment in the oven as the peppers bake, which is the secret to making the firm, raw peppers perfectly soft and tender.
Q3: Can I make these stuffed peppers ahead of time?
Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead meal! You can fully prepare and stuff the peppers, place them in your baking dish, cover it tightly, and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake, just add the water to the bottom of the dish and pop them in the oven (you may need to add 10-15 minutes to the initial covered baking time).
Q4: How do I freeze stuffed peppers?
Stuffed peppers freeze beautifully! You can freeze them either cooked or uncooked. Let them cool completely (if cooked). You can either place them in a freezer-safe baking dish and wrap it very well, or you can wrap them individually in plastic wrap and foil. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. To cook or reheat, let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator first.
Q5: Can I use a different kind of grain instead of rice or quinoa?
Of course! This recipe is incredibly versatile. It would also be delicious with an equal amount of cooked farro, barley, or even couscous in the filling.