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Stuffed Mini Peppers on white oval platter garnished with chopped fresh parsley.
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5 from 7 votes

Stuffed Mini Peppers

Make this bite-sized Stuffed Mini Peppers appetizer for your next get-together, and watch them disappear! Spicy Italian sausage and two types of cheese make these irresistible. Best of all, they can be assembled a day ahead of time!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Appetizers and Snacks
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Diabetic
Servings: 12
Author: Carol | From A Chef's Kitchen

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds mini sweet bell peppers
  • 1 package (19-ounce) Italian sausage links hot, sweet or mild, pork, chicken or turkey
  • 4 scallions white and light green part only, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning or to taste
  • 1 package (8-ounce) cream cheese softened at room temperature
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (or 1 8-ounce package)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon dried Italian breadcrumbs

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Cut each mini pepper in half lengthwise. Remove seeds, fleshy membrane and stem ends if desired. Place on a nonstick baking sheet.
  • Cook the Italian sausage in a skillet, crumbling it as you go, over medium heat until no longer pink. Add the scallion and Italian seasoning near the end. Drain off excess grease. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool to room temperature.
  • Add the cream cheese and shredded Mexican blend cheese to the bowl with the sausage and mix well. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and additional Italian seasoning if needed.
  • Fill each pepper with equal amounts of the sausage and cheese combination.
  • Sprinkle each pepper lightly with Italian breadcrumbs.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS:
  • In place of a Mexican cheese blend, you could also use an Italian blend cheese consisting of Parmesan, Romano, Mozzarella, and Provolone.
TIPS:
  • This filling for stuffed mini sweet peppers is excellent in jalapenos, too! Mix it up for your spicy-loving guests with some jalapenos mixed in. Be sure to wear gloves when handling hot peppers, though.
  • Leaving the stem end on the peppers is optional. Keeping it on makes a prettier presentation, but your guests will want to discard them.
MAKE AHEAD:
  • Can be assembled a day ahead of time. Refrigerate until ready to bake.

Nutrition

Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 160mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1933IU | Vitamin C: 73mg | Calcium: 228mg | Iron: 0.5mg