These sausage stuffed peppers are simple to make and packed with flavor from the Italian sausage, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and garlic. They make a fun and colorful family meal!
I'm into stuffed peppers lately. I recently made these Mexican stuffed peppers, and now we're onto Italian sausage stuffed peppers. I also now have ground beef stuffed peppers. These are great for making ahead/meal prep if you're into that sort of thing.
Back-to-school is nearly upon us, and I think in some places the kids have gone back already. If you're looking for something delicious for the upcoming cooler evenings, this recipe is one to try. You can't go wrong with cheese and sausage meat. And this is a sneaky way to incorporate those vegetables. 😉
Love stuffed peppers but you're in a rush? Try my easy stuffed pepper soup or my Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup.
This recipe will make 6 fairly large bell peppers or 8 small-to-medium ones.
How to make sausage stuffed peppers
- Cook the rice (or use already cooked rice if you happen to have some lying around).
- Prep your ingredients.
- Brown the sausage and make the stuffing mixture.
- Stuff the peppers and bake them covered for 40 minutes at 400F.
- Add the rest of the cheese and finish cooking the peppers uncovered for 5-10 minutes.
Pro tip: Want to make this dish spicy? Use hot Italian sausage meat or add 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the mix.
I'd serve these stuffed peppers with a salad - they're pretty filling on their own.
How to reheat stuffed peppers:
Microwave the stuffed peppers for 3-5 minutes (microwaves vary so check them as needed) or reheat them in the oven (place them in a baking dish and cover it with foil) at 350F until the internal temperature reaches 165F. It'll vary based on the size of the peppers and whether they're straight out of the fridge or not, but I'd check them after 20 minutes or so.
More recipes with sausage that you may like:
- Zuppa Toscana (Sausage, Bacon, Potato, and Kale Soup)
- Sausage and Parmesan Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
- Tuscan Sausage Pasta
- One Pan Creamy Gnocchi with Sausage
I hope you'll try this easy sausage stuffed peppers recipe!
Questions? Ask me in the comments below.
Sausage Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked rice I used white jasmine rice
- 6 large bell peppers any color
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1 pound Italian sausage meat
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (14 fluid ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese blend, divided
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- If you don't have cooked rice, make some (this step can be done a day or two ahead). I usually just make 1/2 cup uncooked rice which ends up making a bit more than you need for this recipe, and then I use the rest for other things.
- Preheat the oven to 400F and move the rack to the middle position. Meanwhile, prep your ingredients. Cut the tops off the peppers as if you were carving a pumpkin (try to do it as evenly as possible so the filling doesn't fall out). Remove any seeds. Chop up the usable stuff from the pepper tops (you'll add it to the filling).
- Place the peppers cut-side up in a baking dish (mine was a 9x13). Pour one cup of water into the bottom of the dish (the peppers will steam and cook faster).
- Add the oil, onion, and chopped up pepper tops to a skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the sausage meat to the skillet. Cook it, breaking up the sausage meat as you go along, until it's browned and cooked through (about 8 minutes). Spoon out most of the fat.
- Stir in the garlic and diced tomatoes and give it a good stir. If there's lots of liquid, let some of it cook off, but we do want some moisture in the peppers, so don't let it go dry.
- Stir in the cooked rice and 1/2 of the cheese. Season the mixture with salt & pepper as needed. Spoon the mixture equally into each pepper.
- Cover the baking dish with foil. Place it in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
- Take the dish out of the oven. The peppers should be still a little bit firm to the touch (we don't want them going limp and falling apart). Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over top. Return the peppers to the oven for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Try to find bell peppers that are roughly the same size. Also, the ones with 4 "bumps" on the bottom are less likely to fall over, so I look for those.
- I used a bit over a pound of ground mild Italian sausage meat. Anything in the ballpark is fine.
- Cooking technique adapted from The Kitchn.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Sue says
Can these be frozen?
Natasha says
I haven't personally tested that, but I think it's worth trying. If you're making the whole batch ahead, though, you may want to add the cheese upon heating them up since dairy doesn't always freeze too well.
Paula says
Have you ever made this with a can of rotel tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes?
Natasha says
Nope, but I think that would work great!
Paula says
I’m going to try it. I’ll let you know. It’s what I have in the pantry. 🙂
Shannon B. says
Made this tonight with bell peppers from the garden - they were all different sizes but it still worked perfectly. Yum yum yum!!!
Natasha says
That's awesome!! So glad you enjoyed it!
Lena says
I am plannong to make this, it sounds delicious and an interesting change from my traditional ground beef one. I always wanted to try one with sausage.
One question- can the tomatoes be eliminated?
Natasha says
Hi Lena! I suppose you could, but I am a bit concerned they might be a little dry.
Catherine says
Bought too many bell peppers and sausage at Costco so this recipe was the perfect solution. Served it with a side salad and it was amazing! Thank you
Natasha says
Awesome!! I'm so glad you were able to use them up. 🙂
m says
can I make the mixture and keep in the fridge and make a few days later?
Natasha says
I think that should be fine.
Kimberly says
Obsessed! A meal all in one! Second time making this tonight!
Natasha says
Yay!! 🙂
Johane says
I made theses they are absolutely delicious 😋
My whole family devoured them !!!
Natasha says
Awesome!! Thanks for commenting, Johane!
Richard says
Cheddar cheese just doesn't seem right with Italian sausage, try asiago or provolone.
Natasha says
Lots of people like cheddar, but yes, your suggestions for sure work too!
Haley W. says
This recipe is a winner! My husband and I both like to cook and provide little critiques of each other’s meals. Tonight I made these stuffed peppers and he was wowed. “No feedback! I wouldn’t change a thing.” Super yummy! As a bonus, we have two toddlers and this was really easy to serve deconstructed. They had white rice, raw bell pepper, and plain mild sausage all set aside before everything was mixed together in the filling. They ate early while the peppers baked, then played while we ate. The best we can do for a date night these days! 🙂
Natasha says
Wow that's awesome!! 🙂 I'm so glad that you were able to adapt it for the toddlers, too!
Jane Gordon says
I've been making traditional stuffed peppers my entire married life. We still like the familiar flavors of the recipe passed down from my mom, but --- this new twist with the Italian sausage is right on up there with being a definite favorite! I used half ground turkey and half sausage, as I wasn't sure if my hubby would want it with all sausage. I also used hot Italian sausage and it turned out amazing! With us, spicy is always a good thing. I'm so glad I came across your recipe -- thank you Natasha!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you gave this a try! 🙂 You're very welcome!
Peter says
It is in the oven and smells great. I did alter the recipe a bit hope you don’t mind! I added the garlic to the peppers before the sausage, and I substituted the rice for some Panko breadcrumb to lower the carbs a bit. And I switched the cheddar for some mozzarella. This is very similar to a zucchini boat recipe I learned from my mom, so I’m sure it’s gonna be great!
Natasha says
Sure, cooking is all about switching things up. 🙂 I hope you enjoyed the peppers!
Stephanie Rangel says
Do I spray the baking dish before I add the stuffed peppers?
Natasha says
Yes 😊
Cindy Deveaux-Healey says
I added mushrooms and chili powder and a little tomato sauce on top of the cheese at the end. VERY TASTY!
Natasha says
Excellent!
MARY says
Once again, a fabulous recipe! I just discovered your web site about 1 month ago and have made 5 of your recipes and all of them a hit with my husband. Thank you so much!!
Natasha says
Wow... I am so glad you found me, Mary!! So pleased you're enjoying the recipes. Thanks so much for commenting! 🙂
WOOD PAULINE says
The peppers are in the oven. The filling tasted very good so I am sure supper will be a hit. They really are easy to make. A keeper.
Natasha says
Yay! So glad to hear it.
Sheila says
I make the same stuffed peppers. I use quinoa instead of rice and add spinach. It's a nice change from rice.
Natasha says
Good idea!
Jane says
When is the garlic added? I just went ahead and added it with the Sausage
Natasha says
Sorry about that... just updated the recipe. 🙂 What you did is just fine haha.
Steve says
I loved this dish. It was as good, if not better reheated!