Italian Stuffed Peppers (Cubanelle or Anaheim)
Ingredients
Cubanelle peppers: 4, tops cut off and seeds removed (Anaheim peppers work too)
Ground Italian pork sausage: 1 pound (mild or hot)
Yellow onion: 1 small, chopped
Garlic: 4 cloves, minced or grated
Marinara sauce or crushed tomatoes: 1¼ cups
Vegetable or chicken stock: 1 cup, divided
Fresh basil: ¼ cup, chopped
Cooked rice: 1 cup
Mozzarella cheese: ¼ cup, shredded
Cayenne pepper: ¼ teaspoon
Salt: to taste
Instructions
Step 1: Heat the oven and prep the dish.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Lightly coat a baking dish with oil spray and set it aside.
Step 2: Brown the sausage.
Add the sausage to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Break it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon or potato masher and let it start to brown.
Step 3: Add the onion and garlic.
Stir in the onion and cook for 4–6 minutes, until the sausage is no longer pink and the onion is soft.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Step 4: Simmer the sauce.
Pour in the marinara (or crushed tomatoes) and ¾ cup of the stock, and stir to combine.
Bring to a bubble and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly.
Step 5: Finish the filling.
Stir in the cooked rice until evenly mixed.
Add the mozzarella, cayenne, and chopped basil, and stir until combined.
Taste and add salt if needed.
Step 6: Stuff the peppers.
Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to fill each pepper all the way to the top.
Depending on the size of your peppers, you may have some filling left over.
Step 7: Bake.
Lay the stuffed peppers on their sides in the prepared baking dish.
Pour the remaining ¼ cup of stock into the bottom of the dish to help steam and soften the peppers.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40–45 minutes, until the peppers are tender.
Using Leftover Filling
Any extra filling is delicious spooned over pasta, rolled into a tortilla, stuffed into zucchini, or baked in a small dish topped with extra mozzarella.