Cheesy Italian Stuffed Peppers + Video

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Cheesy Italian Stuffed Peppers start with cheesy Italian sausage, fire-roasted tomatoes, and orzo pasta. It only gets better from there. An easy recipe that goes from prep to plate in 30 minutes makes this one a keeper!

cheesy italian stuffed peppers on serving dish

I have such fond memories of my childhood. Anytime food memories pop into my mind, I remember my mom being in the kitchen preparing the most amazing meals for us.

She was way ahead of her time with her creative simplicity (hmmm, maybe that is where it came from).

My mom could prepare a delicious meal with 5 kids hanging on her and have it on the table at 6:00pm every night.

Cheesy Italian Stuffed Peppers

Every time I even look at a bell pepper I remember a baking dish filled with Mom’s stuffed peppers.

Green bell peppers overflowing with her special pepper mixture topped with tomato sauce.

Just the thought makes my mouth water.

I haven’t made stuffed peppers in a long time, truth be told Chad (my husband) never liked bell peppers. Well, recently his ever-expanding palate saw the light.

Perhaps it was the bright red, orange and yellow peppers calling his name.

As we do eat with our eyes first it is important (especially with picky eaters) that your food looks appetizing.

Sure enough, while I was working on the recipes for our cookbook (The Simple Kitchen – available for preorder) I caught Chad picking the peppers out of the skillet and eating them.

The red, orange and yellow peppers are so much sweeter.  This has my mind reeling with ideas!

Cheesy Italian Stuffed Pepper that goes from prep to plate in only 30 minutes is sure to be on my table again and again!

Don’t like rice, try my everyday orzo, or this Baked Sausage, Peppers and Onions with Orzo.

Helpful Tips to make Cheesy Italian Stuffed Peppers:

  • To quickly clean and cut a bell pepper, cut off the top and bottom of the pepper, then slice it down the side and unfold it into a flat sheet.

    Run your chef’s knife along the inside of the pepper to remove the membrane and seeds. Once it is cleaned, you can slice it evenly and chop it into bite-size pieces.

    My mom taught me not to waste, so I go back and cut the stem out of the lid and chop up the top and bottom into bite-size pieces.

What you will need to make Cheesy Italian Stuffed Peppers:

  • Skillet– I have had this pan since 2006. It is my go-to large skillet. It heats evenly and quickly.

    The stainless steel cleans up beautifully with a little baking soda so they still look brand new.

Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours. 

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italian stuffed peppers close up
plate of cheesy italian stuffed peppers

Cheesy Italian Stuffed Peppers + Video

Donna Elick
Cheesy Italian Stuffed Peppers start with cheesy Italian sausage, fire-roasted tomatoes, and orzo pasta. It only gets better from there. An easy recipe that goes from prep to plate in 30 minutes makes this one a keeper!
5 stars from 1 review
Tried this recipe?Please comment and review!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine Italian
Method Oven
Servings 8

Ingredients
 

  • 16 ounces bulk hot Italian sausage
  • 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with garlic
  • 2 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 8 ounces dried orzo pasta
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock
  • 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 8 bell peppers, whichever color you prefer
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 basil leaves, chopped (optional garnish)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 450°F.
  • Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium (10-inch) skillet over medium heat, approximately 2 minutes. Add orzo, stir to coat. Cook until orzo is golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil, cook for 7-10 minutes until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.
  • Meanwhile, wash peppers. Cut the tops off and remove seeds and veins. Pat peppers dry with a paper towel. Place peppers (lids and bottoms) in a microwave-safe bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon oil and kosher salt. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or microwave-safe lid. Microwave until peppers are soft (about 10 minutes). Remove peppers from bowl and stand up (cut side up) in a 9”x9” baking dish.
  • In the meantime, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage to skillet and cook until browned.
  • In the orzo pan; combine sausage, tomatoes, mozzarella, and cheeses. Stir to combine. Stuff mixture into peppers, using a spoon. Set tops aside.
  • Bake for 7-10 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. Place tops on peppers and serve.
  • Enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 455cal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 866mg | Sugar: 7g | Fiber: 4g | Calcium: 199mg | Iron: 2mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
cheesy italian stuffed peppers -pin

Originally published May 2013, updated and republished January 2020

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24 Comments

  1. Stuffed bell peppers were one of my favorite recipes that my mother would make and they are a favorite of mine to make now. This one seems like a keeper since it cuts a lot of the time out from mine.

    1. I get it at our market (Sprouts) or you could even use the one from Walmart made by Johnsonville (I think it is 4 cheese or something). Cut it out of the casing. Enjoy and let us know how it goes.

  2. Stuffed peppers remind me of my mom, too. She made these because my dad loved them—years later I found out that she didn't even like peppers! Thank goodness, I do—and filled with cheesy Italian sausage and pasta sounds fabulous.

  3. Made these stuffed peppers and was somewhat disappointed. They were very tasty, but lacked an ingredient to keep the meat together. I will work on this next time.

    1. I am sorry you had difficulty with the recipe. The mozzarella cheese will hold it all together. You can add an egg next time, but the cheese does just fine. Give it another go and try it using cheese that is NOT preshredded, that will help.

      Enjoy and let us know how it goes next time.

  4. For those of us who don't buy pre-shredded cheese, will you please show the recipe in cups. Not everyone is so high tech that they have a scale at the ready. Same with meat. Ground meat is show by pounds or if over pounds and ounces. Your recipe calls for a pound of Italian sausage, for those who don't remember the conversions. Thanks.

  5. I have never heard of orzo pasta. Someone mentioned cheesy sausage. I don’t understand. Please explain. I really want to make this recipe. Thanks. Dee

  6. I made something very similar last week, by accident. I planned to make regular stuffed peppers and found only Italian chopped tomatoes in my pantry. LOL.
    Used a 90 second rice pilaf and sprinkled the cheese on top. Cooked it covered, and took the foil off for the last ten minutes. Worked great

  7. Great recipe. We had to make a few adjustments. Our store only sold unsalted chicken stock, so I had to add a good deal of salt. I also felt it needed italian seasoning, but that could be a result of the rather bland sausage available. Overall, will make again.

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