Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers
These crockpot stuffed peppers are loaded with spicy pork sausage, rice, and tomatoes. It's a delicious and easy make-ahead meal, with only 15 minutes of prep!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers tops and seeds removed (reserve the tops)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound hot ground pork sausage
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes drained
- 1½ cups cooked rice
- ⅓ cup water you can also use chicken broth or vegetable broth
- dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream for serving, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the peppers. Get the bell peppers ready by removing the tops and seeds. Put them to the side, and reserve the tops.
- Sauté the onions and garlic. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat; add the diced onions and cook for 2 minutes or until translucent. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for 20 seconds or until fragrant.
- Cook the pork. Add the ground pork to the skillet and break it up with a spatula or wooden spoon while it cooks. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme; stir and continue to cook until browned on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully drain and discard the grease.
- Combine the filling ingredients. Return the skillet to the burner and mix in the tomato paste. Stir in the diced tomatoes and rice; cook for 2 more minutes or just until heated through.
- Stuff the peppers. Remove from the heat and stuff each bell pepper with the ground pork mixture.
- Assemble inside the slow cooker. Arrange the stuffed bell peppers inside the insert of the crock pot. Place the reserved tops back onto each bell pepper. Pour water around the base of the peppers.
- Slow cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for about 4 hours. Remove and serve the peppers topped with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.
Notes
- Choosing Peppers: Pick bell peppers that are about the same size for even cooking. If the base of the pepper is round, slice off a piece so that they stand upright in the slow cooker.
- Adjust the Heat: For a milder flavor, use regular ground pork and season to taste.
- Vegetarian: Replace pork with lentils or beans.
- Customize: If you don't want to use pork, you can use ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey.
- Rice: Use brown rice or quinoa for varied texture.
- Yogurt Topping: Add nonfat yogurt, sour cream, or fresh herbs before serving.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Arrange the stuffed peppers in a baking dish; add water around the base of the peppers.
- Cover and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until peppers are tender.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 334.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.2g | Protein: 21.8g | Fat: 18.3g | Saturated Fat: 6.2g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 156mg | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 3.9g
