About
Some meals you just especially look forward to. When Dad's Ultimate Stuffed Peppers are on the menu, you know dinner is going to be outstanding! Bell peppers are stuffed to the brim with perfectly seasoned succulent sausage and tender rice, then loaded with cheese and baked until golden! When Dad does it, he does it right, with his hearty and delicious Dad's Ultimate Stuffed Peppers. No one does it better! Sorry, mom!
Ingredients
- 6 large bell peppers, color of your choice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1 pound Italian sausage, ground or links with casings removed
- 1 cup mushrooms, optional, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped, can substitute 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped, plus more, to taste, for garnish, can substitute 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped, can substitute 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups parmesan, shredded, divided, can substitute cheese of your choice
- 1 1/2 cups white or brown rice, cooked, can substitute quinoa
- water, optional, to taste, warmed
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 -Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Step 3 -On a cutting board with a sharp knife, evenly slice 1/4-inch off the top of the bell peppers and remove the core and the seeds.
Step 4 -In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil.
Step 5 -Add the onions to the heated olive oil and cook, while stirring, until the onions are soft, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 6 -Add the sausage, the mushrooms, the garlic, the oregano, 1 teaspoon of the fresh parsley, the basil, the salt, and the black pepper to the onions and cook, while crumbling the meat, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 6-7 minutes.
Step 7 -Using a spoon, carefully drain any excess grease from the skillet.
Step 8 -Add the chicken broth to the sausage mixture and cook, while stirring frequently, until reduced slightly, about 2 minutes.
Step 9 -Transfer the sausage mixture from the stovetop to a wire rack.
Step 10 -Add 1 cup of the shredded parmesan and the cooked rice to the sausage mixture and stir to combine.
Step 11 -Evenly add the sausage mixture into each of the bell pepper shells.
Step 12 -Transfer the stuffed peppers to the prepared baking dish.
Step 13 -Add 1 inch of the warm water into the bottom of the dish around the stuffed peppers to help keep the peppers moist during baking.
Step 14 -Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the bell peppers are nearly fork-tender, about 35-38 minutes.
Step 15 -Transfer the stuffed peppers from the oven to a wire rack.
Step 16 -Evenly sprinkle the stuffed peppers with the remaining shredded parmesan.
Step 17 -Bake, uncovered until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
Step 18 -Transfer the stuffed peppers from the oven to a wire rack and sprinkle them with the extra fresh parsley.
Step 19 -With a set of tongs, carefully remove the stuffed peppers and serve.
