Italian Stuffed Peppers

Well, hello! The past week has been crazy...last week of school, going to see Hamilton, NKOTB concert, hosting an end of year pool party fiesta for our school auction fundraiser...phew!
But, even though we have been busy, we still have to eat :)
I am super excited about this recipe.
Last Fall, I posted my Fiesta Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe.
It's one of our favorite recipes & I decided to switch up the ingredients and make an Italian version.
 They are SO good!

 Here is what you need:

- 1 lb of Italian Sweet Italian Sausage (You could also use ground beef/turkey but the Italian sausage is so yummy)

- 2 T minced garlic

- Diced onion 

- 2 T Italian seasoning

- 1 jar of Marinara Sauce

- 1 can of Italian diced tomatoes

- 1 small can of tomato paste

- Bell Peppers

- Shredded Cheddar Cheese

- Italian style bread crumbs (optional)

Cook the sausage along with the chopped onion, 2 T of minced garlic & Italian seasoning.

After the meat it cooked, drain the excess fat.

Then add the jar of pasta sauce, can of tomato paste & can of Italian diced tomatoes:

Then add a handful of shredded mozzeralla cheese & 1/4 cup of Italian style bread crumbs to the sauce (this thickens it up)

Let the sauce simmer on low for 5-10 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, slice your bell peppers. I slice mine lengthwise:

Get all the seeds out & arrange in a baking dish (I sprayed the dish with cooking spray)

Now add the sauce to the bell peppers:

After you add the sauce, sprinkle some Italian bread crumbs on top of each bell pepper:

Then sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese on top of that:

And, finally.... sprinkle some more mozzarella cheese on top:

All the cheese on top helps prevent the mixture from drying out while you bake it.

 Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

I used 1 each of red, orange, yellow & green bell pepper, but you could use whichever color you like.

There is so much flavor in these Italian Stuffed Peppers!

They are healthy for you & perfect if you are trying to cut back on pasta, but still want Italian food :)

You can make them even healthier if you use ground turkey instead of sausage.

I serve these with a Caeser salad. And, they reheat beautifully for leftovers.

I hope your family enjoys these as much as we do!
See you back here on Friday with some Favorites...and a giveaway :)