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Italian Stuffed Peppers

Bell peppers filled with a sumptuous blend of sweet Italian sausage, brown rice, and baby spinach leaves, and topped with béchamel and cheese. You can bake the dish immediately, or freeze it for later enjoyment.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the sausage mixture and peppers:

  • 1 Lb Sweet Italian Sausage
  • 1 large white or yellow onion, diced
  • 3 large cloves of garlic, minced (or 3 teaspoons garlic puree)
  • A big handful of baby spinach leaves
  • 3 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
  • 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup plain tomato sauce (or, use marinara sauce)
  • 3 large bell peppers, preferably yellow or red

For the bechamel:

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/2` teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

Instructions

Making the filling and stuffing the peppers:

  • If you are planning to bake the peppers soon after assembling them, preheat the oven the 375°F (190°C)
  • Cook the sausage and onions in a large skillet, breaking up the sausage as it browns. Add the garlic and spinach leaves, and then cover the skillet until the spinach wilts -- about 2 minutes.
  • Stir in the cooked brown rice, the Italian herbs, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and one 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
  • Add the tomato sauce to a 9x13 baking dish. Swirl the dish to coat the bottom.
  • Slice off the top (stem end) from each pepper. Remove seeds and ribs. Then slice each pepper lengthwise in half. Arrange the halves in the baking dish. Divide the filling among the pepper halves.

Making the bechamel:

  • Over medium heat, melt the butter in a medium-size sauce pan. Then add the flour, and stir for 1 minute to cook off the raw taste of the flour. Add the milk, and stir until the bechamel begins to bubble and thickens. Off heat, stir in the salt and pepper.
  • Pour the bechamel over the filled peppers, and top with the remaining cheese.

Baking the peppers:

  • Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven until the peppers soften and the cheese melts -- about 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese begins to brown slightly -- 5-8 minutes.

Freezing the peppers:

  • Assemble the peppers as described above, and top them with the bechamel and cheeses. Cool to room temperature. Then cover tightly with cling film and aluminum foil (to prevent freezer burn). Freeze for up to 3 months.

Baking the frozen peppers:

  • Allow the peppers to thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Remove the cling film, re-cover with the aluminum foil, and bake as directed above. Remove the foil and continue baking until the cheese browns lightly -- 5 minutes or longer, depending on your oven.