These Italian stuffed peppers are green bell peppers stuffed with cooked ground sweet Italian sausage, orzo pasta, and a seasoned tomato sauce. Top them with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses then bake until browned and bubbly perfection!
INGREDIENTS
Stuffed peppers are the perfect dinner because you’ve got all the components of a complete meal wrapped up into one tasty little package! Here’s what you need to make my version of an Italian stuffed pepper.
- Green bell peppers. The trick to getting a soft fork-cuttable pepper is you’ll bake these for 25 minutes first, then stuff them, then bake some more.
- Sweet Italian ground sausage.
- Cheeses. Grated Parmesan and shredded Mozzarella.
- Crushed tomatoes.
- Orzo.
- Water.
- Butter.
- Seasonings. Garlic powder, salt, Italian seasoning.
HOW TO MAKE STUFFED PEPPERS
All it takes is a few simple steps to get these peppers on the dinner table. And these are also pretty time efficient. While the peppers prebake and get soft you’ll get the fillings ready, then it’s just stuff and bake.
Step 1. Prepping green bell peppers is the key to getting a soft pepper you can cut with a fork. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. While the oven is heating cut your peppers length-wise and remove the seeds and ribs. Bake for 25 minutes.
Step 2. While the peppers are baking, cook the orzo, cook and season the Italian sausage.
Step 3. Stuff the peppers with the sausage orzo mix, top with cheeses, then bake an additional 15 minutes.
That’s it! Stuffed peppers are an easy dinner and you really don’t need a side since these are loaded with meat, pasta, cheese and the pepper. If you really want to add something to your plate a simple side salad would be enough.
VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
I love these peppers just the way they are, but if you want to change it up a bit here are some tasty variations you can try.
Make them spicy. You can add some crushed red pepper flakes to add a nice kick of heat.
Change up the meat. You could also try these with ground turkey or ground chicken for a lighter meat option.
Pepper swap. These would also be delicious using orange or yellow peppers instead.
REHEATING LEFTOVERS
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, and eat within 3 days for the best freshness and flavors.
To reheat leftovers preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the peppers in a baking dish, add extra cheese, then cover with foil and bake for about 10 minutes until warmed through.
For more baked dinners you might like some of these favorites!
Taco Stuffed Peppers
Spinach Dip Pasta Bake
French Onion Chicken Thighs
Jalapeño Popper Chicken
Italian Stuffed Peppers
Green bell peppers stuffed with cooked ground sausage, orzo, and a seasoned tomato sauce. Top these with Parmesan and Mozzarella then bake until browned and bubbly perfection!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian American
Ingredients
3 green bell peppers
1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
1 15oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup dry orzo
1 cup water
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare the peppers by slicing them in half length-wise and removing the seeds and ribs and place face-up in a 9×13 casserole dish. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and carefully absorb any excess moisture with a paper towel.
2. While the peppers are baking prepare the rest of the ingredients. In a medium pot melt the butter then add the dry orzo. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to toast the pasta. Reduce heat if any pieces are getting too browned too quickly. Cook for 4 minutes, then carefully pour in the 1 cup of water. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently towards the end so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
3. In a large pan, add the Italian sausage and cook fully, breaking into crumbles as you cook. Once the sausage is cooked, pour in the can of crushed tomatoes and season with the garlic powder, salt, and Italian seasoning. Stir well, then pour in the cooked orzo.
4. Fill the peppers with the sausage orzo mixture, then top with the Parmesan, and lastly with the Mozzarella.
5. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.
Enjoy!
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