About the Recipe
Ingredients
4 large bell peppers, preferably at least 5-inches tall
1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 lbs ground beef, 90/10
1/2 lb ground, mild Italian sausage
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs, (dairy free if necessary)
2 cups shredded cheese of your choice, mozzarella or dairy-free
Fresh flat leaf parsley or basil, chopped, optional
Preparation
Step 1 :
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place a rack in the center of the oven.#
Prepare the bell peppers:
Trim about 1/2-inch off the top and 1/2 inch off the bottom of each bell pepper. Set the bell pepper tops and bottoms aside for now—you'll need them to make the beef-and-sausage stuffed pepper filling later. Scrape out any seeds or white pith from each bell pepper “tube”. Now slice each bell pepper tube in half to make 8 “rings”, about 2-inches high, that are ready to be filled! Nestle the prepped bell pepper rings into a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Make the stuffed pepper filling:
Step 1 :
Finely chop the tops and bottoms of the bell peppers that you trimmed off in the first step, discarding the stem.
Step 2 :
Warm the olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium-high heat. When the oil is glistening, add the finely chopped bell pepper pieces and onion and cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool while you season the meat.
Step 3 :
In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the eggs, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Whisk until combined. Add the ground beef, Italian sausage, breadcrumbs, the cooled bell pepper-onion mixture and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese to the bowl. Mix with the paddle attachment in a stand mixer or your hands just until the ingredients are incorporated. Take care not to overmix, as that can make the filling overly dense or tough.
Step 4 :
Divide the stuffed pepper filling evenly between the bell pepper rings, pressing the “meatball” into the center of the bell pepper.
Step 5 :
Place in the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Then, top the stuffed bell peppers with the remaining cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer and the cheese is bubbly and melted.
Step 6 :
Sprinkle with fresh parsley or basil if desired.