Sausage-Stuffed Peppers

One of the reasons I love making stuffed peppers is because I don't have to worry about making a side item to go with them. They are a meal in themselves. Bell peppers serve as the "bowl" and can be stuffed with almost anything. I like to stuff them with a meat mixture, but I've never tried sausage. I was pleasantly surprised at how the flavors came together. I used a honey chicken sausage because that's the only healthy sausage my grocery store carried. I also added a pinch of crushed red pepper to the sausage to add a little heat to the sweetness.

This recipe calls for marinara sauce to be added before baking, but I forgot to add it. They were good nonetheless, and I saved a few calories that way.

Sausage-Stuffed Peppers


Ingredients:
Non-stick cooking spray
1 small onion, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 large egg
3 Tablespoons ketchup
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dried plain bread crumbs
1 pound ground turkey sausage
4 bell peppers
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, plus more for serving


Directions:
Brown the sausage.

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Generously spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.
Mix together the onion, parsley, egg, ketchup, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in 1/3 cup cheese and the bread crumbs then mix in the browned turkey.

Cut the tops off the peppers and use a spoon to scrape out the ribs and seeds. Stuff the peppers with the turkey mixture and place upright in the baking dish. Spoon the marinara sauce over the stuffed vegetables.

Bake uncovered until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with additional cheese. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.
To serve, let peppers rest three minutes, then transfer to a platter and serve with additional sauce.

Source: Apple A Day