Foodie Fridays: Stuffed Bell Peppers

My vegetable garden continues to produce produce prodigiously.  I had quite a collection of bell peppers to use up, so I decided to make a stuffed peppers recipe from the McCormick website.  Normally I am not a fan of stuffed peppers, but there was something about using peppers I had grown myself that made this dish appealing.  My homegrown peppers were smaller and thinner-skinned than store-bought ones, and in my opinion had better flavor (I did use more peppers than called for in the original recipe because mine were smaller, but the number of servings stayed the same).

I used hot Italian sausage instead of ground beef, and because I am allergic to red meat I used a turkey version.  I also added a shredded zucchini because I am putting zucchini into any dish I can just to get rid of them!  I used a Mexican blend shredded cheese instead of mozzarella because that is what I had.  This recipe comes together quickly and is pretty straightforward to prepare.   It does take a little while to cook, so make sure you have enough time when you make this recipe.  The good news is that this dish is even better as leftovers.  If I accumulate enough bell peppers, I will certainly make this recipe again!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

4 bell peppers, any color
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1 tsp. salt
1 T. olive oil
1 lb. hot Italian sausage (I used turkey sausage)
1 C. chopped onion
1/4 tsp. black pepper (optional)
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 C. cooked rice
2 cans (15 oz. each) tomato sauce (I used unsalted)
1 C. shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend)

Halve the peppers lengthwise.  Remove the seeds and membranes.  Rinse and set aside.

Place the shredded zucchini in a colander over a deep bowl.  Toss with 1/2 tsp. salt and let sit for 30 minutes.  Squeeze the zucchini with your fingertips to remove all excess moisture.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and onion and cook until the sausage is no longer pink.  Add the drained zucchini, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and rice and stir until well blended.

Pour one can of tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish.  Stuff each pepper half with the sausage mixture and place in the baking dish.  Pour the second can of tomato sauce evenly over the top of the peppers.  Cover the baking dish tightly with foil.

Bake at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes until the peppers are tender.  Remove the foil and sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the peppers.  Bake 5 minutes longer or until the cheese melts.  Spoon the sauce over the stuffed peppers to serve.  Serves 4.