Italian Style Stuffed Peppers

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 -6 medium bell peppers (any color variety)
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1 cup cooked instant rice, fluffed
• 1 lb bulk italian sausage, browned
• 25 ounces vegetarian marinara sauce, divided
• 4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 3 tablespoons black olives, sliced
• 4 -6 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• remaining marinara sauce, divided
• remaining parmesan cheese, divided
• 4 -6 whole olives or 4 -6 sliced olives, to garnish

Recipe

• 1 wash bell peppers; remove 1- 1 1/2 inch off pepper tops levelly using a knife (reserve tops); remove seeds and ribs from peppers with a tea spoon; preheat oven to 350°f.
• 2 prepare your favorite recipe for quick-cooking rice, to yield 2 cups rice; brown 1 pound bulk italian sausage in a skillet and drain fat.
• 3 into a large pot (with an accompanying vegetable steamer basket set aside) combine 2 cups water, 3 tablespoons vinegar, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon italian seasoning; insert steamer basket into pot; place peppers cut-side down, along with pepper tops, into steamer insert in pot; cover; bring to boiling; boil for one minute; reduce heat to medium high. steam until tender yet firm (about 10 minutes).
• 4 carefully remove peppers and tops from steamer basket using tongs and place onto onto paper towels to drain.
• 5 dice pepper tops around the stems (discard stems); stir in the diced peppers and cooked sausage to cooked rice, along with 2 tablespoons of the parmesan cheese, and 3 tablespoons sliced black olives.
• 6 pour desired amount of marinara sauce into the rice/meat mixture to moisten; season rice/meat mixture to taste with a little italian seasoning and/or salt and pepper, if desired; blend.
• 7 pour enough marinara sauce into an 8 x 8 x 2 square baking dish, just to cover bottom; arrange the steamed peppers upright in baking dish.
• 8 stuff peppers upright, mounding slightly, with the rice/meat mixture; pour remaining marinara sauce over stuffed peppers.
• 9 divide and distribute shredded mozzarella cheese over prepared peppers; sprinkle peppers with remaining parmesan cheese; top center of peppers with a whole black olive (or olive slice).
• 10 bake peppers upright in a baking dish until heated through, about 10 minutes; serve and enjoy!