Stuffed Bell Peppers with Chicken Italian Sausage, Rice, and Spinach
Servings 6 pepper halves
Equipment
- Large skillet
- 9 x 13-inch Baking Dish
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 large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until tender.
- Add the chicken Italian sausage, the 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 the 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 for an additional 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve. Enjoy.