Stuffed Banana Peppers
These stuffed banana peppers are filled with melty cheese and savory browned sausage.
Servings 12 peppers
Ingredients
- 12 medium banana peppers
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage browned
- 1 ¾ cups ricotta cheese 15 oz.
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese 2 oz.
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella 8 oz.
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- Fresh finely chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce evenly on the bottom of a casserole or baking dish.
- Brown the sausage in a frying pan over medium heat, breaking into small pieces. Tip: Use a potato masher to easily create fine pieces of sausage.
- Wash and dry the banana peppers. Slice them down the center, leaving 1/2 inch uncut on each end. Use a spoon to scrape out seeds and ribs.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, dried parsley, 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese, and browned sausage.
- Stuff each pepper generously with the mixture and place in the casserole dish.
- Drizzle remaining cup of marinara sauce over the stuffed peppers. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- After baking, carefully remove foil and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella on top of peppers. Bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Notes
- For a crispier texture, sprinkle breadcrumbs over the peppers before the final 10 minutes of baking