Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Here's another easy weeknight meal that I made up with some fresh and flavorful ingredients we had on hand. These peppers were bursting with flavor - but still quite lean because we used chicken sausage.

Sausage Stuffed Peppers

4 medium red or green bell peppers, cleaned and cored
2 italian sausages (we used sundried tomato chicken sausages)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 cup tomato sauce or marinara
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil
1 teaspoon freshly chopped oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
4 slices mozzarella cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking dish and set your cleaned and cored peppers inside of it. Use balls of tinfoil to prop them up if you have trouble making them sit correctly.

In a large pan over medium-high heat, brown the sausages. Remove them from the pan and slice 1/4" thick on the bias.

Add the olive oil to the pan, and add the onions, garlic, and tomato. Cook over medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes, until the onions are tender and the tomato begins to break down. Add the sausage back to the pan, along with the sauce, the rice, the parmesan, and the herbs. Stir to combine and continue to cook until heated through. Adjust seasonings to taste with salt and pepper.

Fill the peppers with the sausage-and-rice mixture. Top with the mozzarella slices. Bake in your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and peppers are slightly tender. Enjoy!