Cooking in the kitchen makes me happy. My kitchen is a safe space to be creative and relax. Last week, I made up these Spicy Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers with ingredients that were hanging out in the fridge. Coming up with this recipe gave me time to escape the things that were stressing me out: daycare closures, work demands, winter storm watches, and the list goes on.
This recipe turned out to be simple to make, and I’m excited to share it with you all. The combo of spicy sausage and cheeses stuffed in tiny sweet bell peppers is comforting. The warmness of the sauce and spicy sausage are perfect for a frigid winter day.
Here’s how to make my Spicy Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers…
Mise En Place:
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage – cooked and crumbled
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 block cream cheese 8 oz – softened
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 lb mini sweet bell peppers – cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
- 1 cup marinara sauce or your favorite pasta sauce
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
How to make the stuffed mini bell peppers:
- Cook sausage: Over medium-high heat, you’re going to brown the spicy ground sausage until it’s cooked though. Drain and set it aside until cooled down enough for you to handle with your hands.
- Prep Peppers: While the sausage is cooling, prepare the peppers. You’ll do this by slicing each one in half length wise. Remove and discard the seeds and set the cut peppers aside.
- Make the filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, cooked sausage, oregano, and onion powder. Season the with salt and pepper to taste.
- Prep the baking dish: Evenly spread 1 cup of pasta sauce in an oven safe baking dish.
- Stuff the peppers: Begin stuffing the bell peppers with a generous amount of the sausage and cheese mixture using a spoon. As you stuff the peppers, place them in the tomato sauce in a single layer. It’s ok if they are close together. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the stuffed peppers
- Bake and serve: Bake peppers in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and the filling is warmed through. Serve warm. If desired, garnish with additional freshly cracked black pepper.
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All in All
This was the perfect comfort food to brighten my day! There’s nothing more warming than a baked, cheesy dish like this one. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. Stay warm out there!
If you enjoyed this dish, check out these warm dishes:
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Spicy Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 block cream cheese 8 oz
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb mini sweet bell peppers
- 1 cup marinara sauce or your favorite pasta sauce
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
Instructions
- In a skillet, over medium-high heat, brown the spicy ground sausage until it's cooked though. Drain and set aside until cooled down enough for you to handle with your hands.
- While the sausage is cooling, prepare the peppers by slicing them in half length wise. Remove and discard the seeds and set peppers aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, cooked sausage, oregano, and onion powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Evenly spread 1 cup of pasta sauce in an oven safe baking dish.
- Begin stuffing the bell peppers with a generous amount of the sausage and cheese mixture using a spoon. As you stuff the peppers, place them in the tomato sauce in a single layer. It's ok if they are close together. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the stuffed peppers
- Bake peppers in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and the filling is warmed through. Serve warm. If desired, garnish with additional freshly cracked black pepper.