Y'all know I love stuffed peppers. I enjoy trying to think of new ways to prepare them with all sorts of different fillings. For today's lunch, I used a combination of pantry ingredients to jump start this recipe.
If you want to make the meat sauce totally from scratch, of course, go right ahead! I began with a jar of Ragu sauce with mushrooms. But then, I added onions, peppers, garlic, and additional seasonings to "make it my own."
For the filling, I used a package of Knorr Garlic Parmesan Rice Sides. Again, if you want to make your own rice from scratch, that's fine.
**I always save pieces of my Parmesan cheese rinds in the freezer when it's sauce making day. Add a small piece or two to the sauce while it simmers. The rinds add such a rich flavor to the sauce. Remember to remove before serving.
Let's get started on the sauce!
1 large jar Ragu sauce with mushrooms (or your favorite type)
1 lb. Italian sausage, browned and drained
1 T. dried Italian seasoning
1 T. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
3 - 4 garlic cloves minced
**parmesan cheese rind
To a 3 quart Dutch oven, add the sauce and set the heat to a simmer. In a large skillet, brown and drain the Italian sausage. Add to the sauce along with the Italian seasoning.
In a medium skillet, add the olive oil over medium heat. Saute' the onions, peppers, and garlic until the onions are translucent. Now it's their turn to be added to the sauce along with the cheese rinds if you're using those.
Let the sauce simmer while you prepare the peppers and the filling.
I used 2 large green bell peppers sliced lengthwise through the stem. Carefully remove the seeds and membranes and trim away the thick white parts near the stem end. Prepare a large pot with an inch or so of simmering water. Place a steamer basket in the pot and add the peppers. Cover and let them steam until they are beginning to soften. By adding this step, it will cut down on the time required for the peppers to bake. When they are tender, carefully (they will be hot!) remove from the steamer basket with tongs and turn cut side down on paper towels to drain.
While the peppers are steaming, prepare the rice according to the package directions.
NOW, we're all ready to assemble! Spray a 9 x 11 casserole dish with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Ladle 2 - 2 1/2 cups of sauce into the bottom of the casserole dish. Keep the remaining sauce hot to have extra for plating when it's time to eat!
Place the peppers into the dish on top of the sauce. Divide the rice between the peppers. I topped the filled peppers with shredded Italian blend cheese.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until the peppers are hot all the way through. If the cheese hasn't browned enough, place under the broiler for a few minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
To serve, plate with the sauce underneath the peppers. Provide extra sauce for your diners if they'd like more. My guess is they will! Don't forget the garlic bread!
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