Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers filled with poultry Italian sausage, ground turkey, brown rice, and flavored with everything you love about Italian cooking and are naturally gluten-free! They can be prepped ahead of time for easy dinners during the week. These Italian Stuffed Peppers are delicious!

Italian Sausage Stuffed peppers are one of my favorite easy Italian dinners to make during the week. They taste like you’ve worked all day in the kitchen but are simple to assemble and cook. 

Other easy gluten-free Italian recipes to include in your weekly meal plan are this Gluten-free Alfredo, Gluten-free Baked Ziti, and Chicken Cacciatore.

Reasons you’ll love this recipe.

• Naturally gluten-free. These gluten-free stuffed peppers don’t require any swaps; only make sure to purchase high-quality ingredients and read the labels.
• Lean and filling. I like to keep this stuffed pepper recipe on the healthy side by using ground turkey and Italian poultry sausage.
• So delicious. These Italian sausage stuffed peppers are so flavorful.
• Make-ahead. You can assemble the ingredients ahead of time, cook the stuffed peppers entirely for the week, or freeze them to enjoy later on. There are so many ways to have Italian stuffed peppers ready in advance.

Ingredients

• Green bell peppers. Any color will work. I recommend purchasing large peppers with flat bottoms.
• Italian sausage links (casings removed). You want to make sure to get fresh turkey sausage (also called poultry sausage), not the pre-cooked kind. I go right to the meat counter and ask for four links of Italian poultry sausage. This way, you can purchase what you need! Of course, pork Italian sausage will work too. Italian sausage is gluten-free, but it’s essential to read labels and ask the Butcher to ensure the meat is high quality and free from any gluten-containing ingredients.
• Ground turkey. This lean protein creates a healthy stuffed pepper with less fat and calories. You can use ground beef too.
• Worcestershire sauce gives the ground turkey and poultry sausage a rich meaty flavor.
• Seasonings. Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper are my favorite all-purpose seasoning in Italian recipes. If you don’t have Italian seasoning then use a mixture of dried oregano, basil, and thyme.
• Marinara sauce. Use a high-quality jarred sauce such as Rao’s or use homemade marinara sauce.
• Grated Romano or Parmesan cheese. Freshly grated provides the best flavor and is also gluten-free. Grated cheese in a can might include gluten-containing ingredients.
• Mozzarella cheese. Again, shredding mozzarella fresh instead of purchasing store-bought is the best way to ensure the cheese is gluten-free. Also, freshly grated mozzarella has the best flavor and creates a creamy ooey-gooey texture we all love.
• Cooked brown rice adds bulk to the stuffed pepper filling. You can also use white rice, quinoa, or any favorite grain.

Supplies

• Mixing bowls
• 9 x 13 Ceramic Dish

How to Make Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers

• Start by preparing the bell peppers. Cut the tops off and remove the membranes and seeds. Many healthy stuffed pepper recipes call for cutting the pepper in half, but that doesn’t make for a filling meal. One serving of this Italian stuffed pepper recipe includes an entire pepper!
• Place the peppers to the side and cook the meat. Start by cooking the Italian poultry sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the casings and cook in olive oil over medium-high heat. As the sausage cooks, break it into small pieces.
• Then, you’ll remove the sausage and set it aside.
• In the same pan, sauté the ground turkey the same way you did the sausage and break it down into small bite-sized pieces.
• After about 4-5 minutes, stir in the seasoning mix! 
• After the ground turkey cooks, add it to the bowl with the sausage.
• Add the marinara sauce, cooked rice, and cheese and stir everything together.
• Spread 1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 ceramic baking dish.
• I like to use six large peppers for this recipe. Typically, I don’t have any leftover filling, but if I do, then I just put it in the baking dish with the sauce on the bottom. Many recipes call for cutting the peppers in half but I like to keep them whole.
• Fill each pepper with the rice and sausage mixture. I pack the stuffing in using a spoon but leave a little space for the cheese!
• Arrange all the stuffed peppers in the dish, sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

Cover with foil.

• Cover with foil.
• Place the baking dish into a 400-degree oven to bake for about 50 minutes or until the peppers are tender. Serve hot.

Cooking Tips

• Purchase flat bottom bell peppers. This helps the peppers stay upright as the recipe cooks.
• Make sure to taste the seasoning as you continue to cook. If it needs a little more salt or black pepper, add 1/4 teaspoon, give it a couple of stirs, and see if that does the trick.
• Cook the rice in chicken broth to give it more flavor.
• Also, make sure to cook the rice ahead of time.
• Bulk up the veggies. Saute onions, peppers, or mushrooms to add with the mix. You’ll probably need extra peppers if you add more to the filling.
• Spice up the filing. Use hot Italian sausage or add some red pepper flakes to the mix to make spicy Italian stuffed peppers.
• Shred the mozzarella for maximum ooey-gooey cheesiness. You can also use fresh mozzarella! In this case, chop into small cubes before adding it to the mix.
• Add some fresh basil, fresh parsley, and other herbs for a burst of fresh flavor.
• Swap out other grains. Quinoa works great in stuffed pepper recipes! You can use the same amount of quinoa as you would brown rice, and you can also use other grains like bulgur or farro. You can even use cauliflower rice to make this a low-carb recipe.

Suggested Side Dishes

The Italian sausage stuffed peppers are beyond delicious on their own. But, if you want to serve it as a whole meal, they go great with a side Caesar salad and a slice of gluten-free garlic bread.

You’ll love having this for a delicious Sunday dinner, or if you make it ahead of time, then a quick and easy weeknight meal!

Storage Tips

• Assemble the stuffed peppers, cover them with foil, and place it into the refrigerator. When you’re ready to cook, continue with the recipe. Remember that you might need to add 10 minutes to the recipe since they will be cold when they go into the oven. The stuffed peppers can stay in the refrigerator for 2-3 days!
• Cook the rice and meats ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator, and then assemble the rest of the peppers when you’re ready to eat. You can also freeze the cooked meats and rice if you’re not eating within 2-3 days. If you do freeze, thaw it out, and continue with the recipe.
• Assemble stuffed peppers entirely and freeze. You can either flash freeze on a sheet pan and then wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze in a couple of large freezer bags. Or, freeze in a disposable pan! I prefer to let the peppers thaw somewhat before cooking them, but you can cook them straight from the freezer. If you cook them straight from the freezer, then you’ll need to add an extra 30 – 45 minutes of cooking time.
• Cook peppers completely to eat all week or freeze. I think these Italian stuffed peppers get better as the days go on. So, make them on Sunday to enjoy as dinners or lunches during the week. You can also freeze into portions and warm them up in the microwave. See my tutorial on how to freeze stuffed peppers on my sister site.

FAQs

More Gluten-free Italian Dinner Recipes

These Italian stuffed peppers are a family favorite! If you are looking for a couple of more Italian themed gluten-free dinner recipes, take a look at this list:

• The Best Sunday Sauce
• Gluten-free Meatballs

See all of our gluten-free dinner recipes.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Have you tried this Gluten-free Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers recipe? I can’t wait to see it! If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #glutenfreeitalianeats.