This sausage stuffed peppers recipe is one of our favorite easy weeknight dinners. They’re incredibly flavorful, made with simple ingredients, and come together quickly.
Every time we make these stuffed peppers, they make me smile. The peppers look gorgeous coming out of the oven, and the filling, made with Italian sausage, spinach, and a little cheese, tastes incredible. This recipe is inspired by our sausage stuffed shells, one of our most popular dishes.
We loved that sausage filling so much that we swapped the pasta shells for sweet bell peppers, and it worked even better than we imagined. These stuffed peppers are hearty, comforting, and a little lighter than the original, a win all around.
Key Ingredients
- Bell Peppers: I love sweet bell peppers for this recipe. Green bell peppers are okay, but not as sweet, so if you can find them, go for red, yellow, or orange. Poblano peppers are fun for stuffing too, see our stuffed poblano peppers as proof.
- Sausage: My go-to is Italian bulk sausage, but fresh sausage links with casings removed are excellent, too. For an extra kick, use hot or spicy sausage. I used chicken sausage in the photos, but pork or turkey sausage is a really good option as well.
- Tomatoes and Spinach: Canned diced tomatoes and frozen spinach make this recipe quick and easy. Just thaw and squeeze out as much moisture from the spinach as you can before adding it to the filling. I also like to scatter a few halved cherry tomatoes on top before baking for extra color and flavor, but that’s optional.
- Ricotta and Mozzarella: Whole-milk ricotta makes the filling creamy and rich, while shredded mozzarella adds that perfect gooey finish on top. You can easily substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta if you’d like (it works really well).
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Sausage Stuffed Peppers
Tip 1: Par-bake the peppers. This quick step replaces the traditional blanching method used in many stuffed pepper recipes, giving the peppers a more concentrated flavor and better texture. Plus, it means fewer dishes!
Cut the bell peppers in half and scoop out the seeds. Place them on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast just until they start to soften.
Tip 2: Make the filling. While the peppers bake, brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat until it’s golden and cooked through. Add the garlic, spinach, and tomatoes, then cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture thickens slightly. Finally, stir in the ricotta, which makes it creamy and holds everything together perfectly.
Tip 3: Fill, top, and bake. Spoon the sausage filling into each roasted pepper half, then top generously with shredded mozzarella and a few cherry tomato halves (if you have them on hand). Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the peppers are tender.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving these stuffed peppers with one or two simple side dishes. A few of our favorites include a fresh green salad tossed with one of our homemade dressings, or a skillet of quickly sautéed veggies, like our sautéed zucchini or sautéed green beans. For something a little cozier, try them alongside creamy mashed potatoes or buttered noodles (my son’s favorite), or even served over creamy polenta or grits.
Rice, quinoa, or grains work nicely too. Try this Mexican rice, saffron rice, or perfectly cooked quinoa for extra protein.
More Stuffed Pepper Recipes
- Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers with tomatoes and basil
- Cheesy Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Easy Sausage Stuffed Peppers
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
We love these stuffed peppers with a filling of sausage, spinach, and ricotta. Par-baking the peppers before stuffing them gives them a head start and helps soften them.
You Will Need
3 medium bell peppers
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 pound bulk Italian sausage like chicken, pork or turkey sausage
1 (10 ounce) bag frozen spinach, thawed
3 garlic cloves, minced, 1 tablespoon
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes or 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
½ cup ricotta cheese, 4 ounces (113g)
A handful of sliced cherry tomatoes, optional
¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 ounce (28g)
A handful of fresh basil leaves, optional
Directions
1Partially bake the peppers: Slice the peppers in half through the stem. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Rub the pepper halves, inside and out, with a teaspoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
2Place the pepper halves, cut sides down, in a single layer in a baking dish. Place the dish in the oven and heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). The peppers will par-bake as the oven heats up. When the peppers start to soften and release some juices, remove them from the oven, 10 to 15 minutes.
3Make the sausage filling: While the peppers bake, heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add a teaspoon of olive oil and sausage, and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. As the sausage cooks, use a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces in the pan.
4Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for one minute.
Add the tomatoes and the thawed and ringed-out spinach. Cook until heated through, and the liquid has reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
5Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the ricotta cheese. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if needed.
6Stuff the peppers: Flip the peppers, then divide the filling between them (about ½ cup of filling per pepper half).
7Bake: Top the peppers with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, then bake until the cheese melts and the peppers are soft, about 20 minutes.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven.
- Make ahead filling: The filling can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Sausage: Look for uncooked bulk chicken, turkey, or pork sausage. If you buy sausage formed into links, remove the casings by cutting a slit down the sausage and pulling the casing away from the meat.
- Fresh spinach: Substitute 1 ½ pounds of fresh spinach for the frozen spinach and add the fresh spinach directly into the pan with browned sausage.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
These are some of the best stuffed peppers I’ve ever had! I used hot Italian turkey sausage. I added
chopped roasted red peppers and Parmesan cheese into the mixture. I’ll definitely make these again and again!
Looking forward to making this tonight. How long do you roast the peppers before you fill them?
Around 15 to 20 minutes, they should begin to soften and release some juices.
How long do the peppers initially roast in the first step?
When the peppers start to soften and release some juices (10 to 15 minutes), you can remove the baking dish with peppers from the oven.
Absolutely delicious! The only modification I made was to cut back on the amount of spinach as my peppers were small. Definitely will make these again.
Yay! So glad you loved them 🙂
We used Italian sausage made with venison, roasted tomatoes, and fresh spinach. I also added in some onion I needed to use up. The pound and a half of fresh spinach seemed too much so I put it in until I reach the amount that visually looked to be a good ratio of meat to spinach and I would guess about 1 pound was what I used. Otherwise followed the recipe. This was delicious!! Will make again.
Love the subs 🙂
Best peppers I’ve ever made. I used cottage cheese as I didn’t have ricotta and pepper jack instead of mozzarella for the same reason. Otherwise I followed the recipe. We really liked the roasted peppers instead of blanching them. Good Italian sausage made them even more delicious. We will have these again…soon!
These were wonderful! I used Chicken Apple Sausage, Marscapone since I didn’t have Ricotta, and chopped up a few fresh tomatoes instead of canned. Amazing, this Recipe will become a regular meal here!
Best stuffed peppers i’ve ever had!
Wonderful! 🙂