Sausage Stuffed Red Peppers
Image: Baking pan filled with baked red pepper halves stuffed with sausage, mushrooms, and rice, topped with fresh herbs.
Description: These savory baked sausage and wild rice stuffed red peppers are full of flavor and sure to be an easy crowd pleaser!
Yield: Makes 3-4 servings
Ingredients:
3/4 cup uncooked Wild Rice
2 teaspoons vegetable bouillon dissolved into
1 3/4 cups water
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
4 red peppers, halved and de-seeded
2 Portabello Mushrooms, chopped
4 ounces Feta Cheese, crumbled
4 ounces cup Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, chopped
½ a yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh Thyme, minced (reserve some for topping)
1 teaspoon fresh Sage, minced (reserve some for topping)
1 teaspoon fresh Parsley, minced (reserve some for topping)
1 pound (16 ounces) 1talian sausage, link or ground
3 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
1 teaspoon red pepper flake
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions:
Heat the water on high until it starts boiling. When the water for the rice starts to boil, mix in the bouillon to dissolve. Cook the rice in the water and bouillon mixture for 10 minutes, according to the package directions.
While the rice is cooking, Preheat the oven to 375. Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds. rub 1 tsp of the olive oil all over the peppers. Bake unfilled on a parchment lined baking sheet for 15 minutes.
While the peppers are cooking, fry the Italian sausage, onions, and mushrooms in another pan in a bit of oil over medium high heat. If using link sausage, chopped it up before frying. If using ground, crumble it into the pan at frying time.
After a few minutes, add in the garlic, and minced herbs, then stir, and cook for another couple of minutes. Remove from heat and set the mixture aside in a covered mixing bowl.
When the rice finishes cooking, add into a large mixing bowl, then add in the cooked sausage mixture into the bowl. Next, add in the mince herbs, chopped tomatoes, all seasonings, crumbled feta cheese and another tsp of oil into the big mixing bowl, and mix thoroughly to combine.
After the unfilled peppers have pre-baked for 15 minutes, fill each half of pepper with the mix. top with additional feta cheese. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.
Garnish with reserved herbs. Enjoy!