Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffed Peppers – Easy Weeknight Dinner

Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffed Peppers – Easy Weeknight Dinner. This easy dinner is a real lifesaver on busy nights. Just place raw peppers in the slow cooker, fill them with a simple sausage mix, and let it cook. Soon your kitchen smells amazing, and you have soft, tasty stuffed peppers with barely any mess or work involved!

This recipe only needs five ingredients, but it still tastes like you spent a long time cooking. It’s great for those busy days when you have work, kids, and other things to do, but still want a real dinner that feels homemade.

I like to serve these sausage stuffed peppers with a fast salad from the fridge and warm crusty bread or garlic toast. The bread is great for soaking up the extra sauce at the bottom of the slow cooker. If you want a bigger meal, spoon the peppers and sauce over cooked rice or pasta. Adding roasted frozen veggies or steamed green beans on the side makes this a full, colorful dinner without much extra effort.

Ingredients

• Cut 4 big bell peppers in half from top to bottom. Take out all the seeds.
• Use 1 pound of Italian sausage. Remove the outer covering before you cook it.
• 2 cups cooked rice (white or brown)
• 2 cups marinara or pasta sauce, split into two parts
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, split into two parts

Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffed Peppers: Instructions

1. Place the raw pepper halves cut-side up in the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Fit them close together in one layer so they look like little cups. It’s fine if they touch or lean on each other a bit.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the sausage, cooked rice, 1 cup of marinara sauce, and ½ cup of mozzarella cheese until well combined. The mix will feel thick and slightly sticky.
3. Spoon the sausage mixture into each pepper half. Press down gently so the filling reaches all the way to the top.
4. Pour the leftover marinara sauce over the peppers and around them. Let some sauce run down into the slow cooker. Put the lid on.
5. Cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 2½ to 3½ hours, until the peppers are soft and the sausage is fully cooked with no pink left inside.
6. About 15 minutes before serving, sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese on top of the peppers. Cover again just until the cheese melts.
7. Carefully take the peppers out with a big spoon. Pour a little sauce on top, then serve them while they are still hot.

Oven-Baked Amish Goulash