Bell Peppers Stuffed With Italian Sausage or Turkey

I have big love for peppers. Jalapeño, shishito, piquillo, bell, Anaheim, Hungarian - bring 'em on. A huge bonus with peppers is you can roast and freeze them for enjoyment well after the season has passed. One of my quick omelet recipes includes egg whites, roasted jalapeños (previously frozen - seeds and ribs removed), a custom blend of Hook's 1-year cheddar and jack, and then sliced avocado to top it off. Easy and delicious.

I realized that stuffed peppers were still on the to-do list and decided it was time to change that.

Useless Facts

  • If you cut spicy peppers with bare hands the capsaicin can trick the nervous system into thinking your skin is burning. Here's an interesting article on why that happens. I made this mistake a while back and it wasn't until I was laying in bed that my brain decided my hands were on fire. After some Googling I ended up soaking them in sour cream, though apparently milk works, too. Milk is also the beverage of choice if you want to calm your mouth after eating spicy food. There's an explanation for that here, or you can assume the folks who participate in pepper-eating contests while consuming bread and milk may know a thing or two.
  • Only 1 in 10 shishito peppers are spicy (albeit mildly so) and there's no way to tell visually. Pepper roulette. Apparently environmental stresses cause this phenomenon.

Recipe

I used sweet Italian sausage from Lindy & Grundy for version one and white turkey meat for version two. Both recipes are listed below. I'll state the obvious which is that the sausage stuffed peppers had a richer flavor. That being said, if you want something healthy and tasty the turkey is an excellent option.

Peppers at Weiser Farms - Santa Monica Farmers Market

Ingredients

Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers (Makes 4-6 peppers)

  • 5 or 6 unblemished and firm red bell peppers, medium size Note: Sorry the number of peppers isn't more accurate. It really depends on how big they are and how heaping your stuffing is. Also, try to find peppers that have a relatively level bottom so they can "stand up" on the baking sheet.
  • 1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed
  • 1 cup onions, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup shishito peppers Note: If you can't find shishitos substitute any mild green pepper.
  • 1 3/4 cups cooked long-grain rice Note: For this recipe I use half chicken stock/half filtered water when making the rice.
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped, plus extra for serving
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella plus extra for the top
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 3/4 cup Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Marinara plus extra for serving
  • 2 tablespoons quality olive oil
  • Kosher or flake-style salt and freshly ground pepper

Turkey Stuffed Peppers (Makes 4-6 peppers)

  • 5 or 6 unblemished and firm red bell peppers, medium size
  • 1 pound ground white turkey meat
  • 1 cup onions, finely chopped
  • 2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
  • 2 cups cooked long-grain rice Note: For this recipe I use half chicken stock/half filtered water when making the rice.
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped, plus extra for serving
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella plus extra for the top
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 3/4 cup Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Marinara plus extra for serving
  • 2 tablespoons quality olive oil
  • Kosher or flake-style salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Stuffing

  • Make your rice per the instructions.
  • In a non-stick pan heat the olive oil over medium, add the onions, sprinkle with salt, then sauté until the onions are translucent and just starting to brown.
  • Add the meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, break it up, and cook through.
  • Remove pan from heat and let it cool a bit.
  • Add your chopped peppers, herbs, rice, celery salt, celery (I leave this out for the turkey version), Parmesan, mozzarella, and sauce.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • At this point you can stop and refrigerate the stuffing in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Bake

  • Heat your oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleaning.
  • Cut the tops off of your peppers and then pull out the seed pod (is that what it's called?).
  • To trim the ribs I use a knife and run it along the inside of the pepper, taking care not to puncture the wall. Note: If your peppers don't stand upright you can trim a little bit from the bottom to level them off.
  • Add the stuffing to your peppers until it comes up just above the edge.
  • Set the peppers on your baking sheet and pop them in the oven.
  • At 30 minutes remove the baking sheet, top with grated mozzarella to taste, and finish baking (maybe 10-15 minutes). Note: This time depends on how thick your peppers are and how soft you want them to be. Personally I like my peppers to be quite soft and a little wrinkly. If you want a little more crunch then add the cheese earlier.
  • Remove the peppers, sprinkle with your extra basil, and serve immediately.
  • The sauce can be served in a bowl for passing or simply spread some on each plate as a "bed" for the peppers.

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