Stuffed Banana Peppers | Easy Baked Recipe

Get ready for a bite that is insanely cheesy and packed with savory flavor!

In this recipe, fresh banana peppers are hollowed out and generously stuffed with a rich blend of browned Italian sausage, melted cream cheese, garlic, fresh garden parsley, and a touch of tomato sauce.

Topped off with an irresistible layer of mozzarella and parmesan cheese, these baked peppers are the ultimate appetizer or side dish.

Ingredients

• 4-6 Fresh Banana Peppers
• 1 lb Italian Sausage (Mild or Spicy)
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 tsp Minced Garlic
• 4 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
• 1 Green Onion (chopped)
• 2 tbsp Tomato Sauce
• 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley (chopped)
• Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
• ½ cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 2 tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the Oven: Turn your oven on and let it preheat to 375°F.
2. Brown the Meat: Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan. Remove the Italian sausage out of its casing directly into the pan. Break up the sausage and cook until it is nicely browned and no longer pink.
3. Add Garlic: Add the minced garlic to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes just until it becomes fragrant, making sure not to burn it.
4. Drain and Build the Filling: Turn off the burner temporarily and drain the excess fat from the sausage. Turn the heat back on low and add the cream cheese, chopped green onion, tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley, and black pepper. Stir until the cream cheese is completely melted and incorporated into the meat. Set the filling aside.
5. Prep the Peppers: Wash the banana peppers. Cut a slit lengthwise down the side of each pepper (cutting out any bad spots if necessary) and use a spoon to carefully scrape out all of the seeds.
6. Stuff the Peppers: Use a spoon to fill the hollowed-out banana peppers with the sausage and cream cheese mixture. Be careful not to overfill them.
7. Top with Cheese: Place the stuffed peppers into a baking dish. Top each one generously with shredded mozzarella cheese and add a light sprinkle of Parmesan cheese over the top.
8. Bake: Bake in the oven at 375°F for about 20 minutes, or until the peppers have a slight bite to them and the cheese is beautifully melted and starting to brown.
9. Garnish and Serve: Remove from the oven, garnish with a little extra fresh parsley, let them cool for a minute (the filling gets extremely hot!), and enjoy!