Stuffed Bell Peppers with Chicken Italian Sausage, Rice, and Spinach
It has been cold and rainy for the last few days and I was craving some comfort food yesterday. I grabbed a few bell peppers, chicken Italian sausage, rice, onion, and leftover marinara sauce and made these stuffed peppers. They were simple to make, smelled fantastic while they baked, and tasted great. My husband and I really liked them while my kids weren’t the biggest fans. Their loss.
How to Make Stuffed Bell Peppers with Chicken Italian Sausage, Rice, and Spinach
Prepare rice, per instructions.
While rice is cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until tender. Add the chicken Italian sausage, casings removed. Using a potato masher, mash the sausage while it cooks until crumbled. Add the minced garlic, oregano, fennel, and crushed red pepper flakes, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until sausage is cooked, stirring often. Add prepared rice, spinach, and basil along with 1 cup of marinara sauce and mix thoroughly. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large glass baking dish, add 1-1 1/2 cups of water. Cut the bell peppers in half, lengthwise, then remove the seeds. Scoop meat mixture into each pepper half until it’s heaping full and place into baking dish. Add a spoonful of the remaining marinara sauce to each pepper then top with sprinkled Parmesan cheese.
Bake covered in tin foil for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake additional 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve. Enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of uncooked jasmine rice cooked per instructions
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ½ sweet yellow onion diced
- 5 chicken Italian sausage links casings removed
- 2 cloves of garlic chopped finely
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 1 tsp fennel seeds crushed
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup of baby spinach chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh basil chopped (plus more for garnish)
- 1 ½ cups of marinara sauce divided
- 3 bell peppers 1 orange, 1 yellow, 1 red
- Parmesan shredded
Instructions
- Prepare rice, per instructions.
- While rice is cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until tender. Add the chicken Italian sausage, casings removed. Using a potato masher, mash the sausage while it cooks until crumbled. Add the minced garlic, oregano, fennel, and crushed red pepper flakes, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until sausage is cooked, stirring often. Add prepared rice, spinach, and basil along with 1 cup of marinara sauce and mix thoroughly. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large glass baking dish, add 1-1 1/2 cups of water. Cut the bell peppers in half, lengthwise, then remove the seeds. Scoop meat mixture into each pepper half until it’s heaping full and place into baking dish. Add a spoonful of the remaining marinara sauce to each pepper then top with sprinkled Parmesan cheese. Bake covered in tin foil for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake additional 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve. Enjoy.
Looks so good! I’ve always wanted to try to make stuffed peppers, you made it look so doable!
Now those are some stuffed peppers I would eat!! My mom used to make stuffed peppers when I was a kid and they never looked or sounded this good… if only she would have stuffed them with this…. we wouldn’t have fought so much!! lol
Now these are some stuff peppers I could enjoy!! Whenever I hear stuffed peppers I think of the ones my mom made when I was a kid… and let’s just say they were not that appealing. If only she had been just a little more creative (and cooked those suckers a little less) she and I probably wouldn’t have fought so much at dinner time!! lol
They look very good Pam and I much prefer the color and sweetness of the ripe peppers.
It’s been years since I made stuffed bell peppers. Yours are so pretty and sound very tasty!
Fabulous and delicious combination Pam!
Cheers,
Lia.
Should have told your kids that they were monkey heads, worked for mine.
Nice dinner, filling, fresh, tasty.
Stuffed peppers are some of my favorites, must try this with sausage!
You’ve definitely spurred a stuffed pepper craving after seeing these!!
That sounds delicious!
Our heads are in the same place! I made stuffed peppers this week that I need to blog 🙂 Yours look yummy! http://www.prettybitchescancooktoo.com
I love stuffed peppers, Pam. These look irresistible!
What a gorgeous dish, Pam! I love everything about this recipe!
These peppers look like a great weeknight meal. I like the additon of the sausage.
I’ve used beef before, but never chicken. Sounds yummy!
stuffed peppers are so fun! your choice of filling is outstanding. 🙂
We had this for dinner with Sweet Italian Basil Sausage mmmm so good thumbs up from the parents AND the 8 year old… 🙂
what is a good side dish to serve with stuffed peppers? this looks delicious and i will be cooking it tonight
I paired it with ~
Parmesan Roasted Green Beans: https://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2011/01/parmesan-roasted-green-beans.html
and my
House Salad: https://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2009/07/house-salad.html
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Pam
I have made these with the MINI PEPPERS (red yellow green) and used as hot appetizers with toothpicks and they went fast.