Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers

Ingredients:

4 cubanelle peppers topped & seeded

1 pound ground Italian pork sausage see notes

1 small yellow onion diced

4 garlic cloves minced or grated

1¼ cups marinara sauce or crushed tomatoes

1 cup vegetable or chicken stock divided

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

1 cup pre-cooked rice see notes

¼ cup grated mozzarella cheese

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt to taste

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Prepare a baking dish by lightly spraying with oil.

Set aside.

Step 2:

Place sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Using a wooden spoon or potato masher (my favorite tool for this task), break up the sausage and allow it to start browning.

Step 3:

Add the chopped onion to the pan and cook until the sausage is no longer pink and the onion begins to soften, about 4-6 minutes.

Stir in grated or minced garlic and cook for another minute.

Step 4:

Add marinara sauce (or crushed tomatoes) and ¾ cup vegetable or chicken stock; stir to combine.

Bring to a bubble and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and thickened a bit.

Step 5:

Stir in rice until fully combined.

Mix in mozzarella cheese and cayenne pepper.

Taste and season with salt if needed.

Step 6:

Using a small cookie scoop or a spoon, fill each pepper to the top.

You may have extra filling depending on the size of your peppers.

See notes in post for other uses.

Step 7:

Place each pepper carefully on its side in prepared baking dish.

Pour remaining ¼ cup stock in the dish — this will help steam and soften the peppers as they cook.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes or until peppers are tender.