Cheese Pizza Stuffed Peppers

National Cheese Pizza Day inspires this playful Italian-American swap: hollowed bell peppers stand in for crust. Browned Italian sausage, pizza sauce, and a trio of mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan bake into gooey, fork-ready pockets.

Serves 4 · 18 min prep · 40 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 410 cal
• 28g protein
• 14g carbs
• 28g fat

Every recipe here is free to read.

Ingredients

• 4 large bell peppers
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 12 oz ground Italian sausage
• 1 small yellow onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a light film of olive oil.
2. 2Halve the bell peppers lengthwise, remove seeds and membranes, then arrange them cut-side up in the dish; brush the insides lightly with olive oil and season with salt.
3. 3Brown the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small crumbles until no pink remains, about 6 to 8 minutes; drain excess fat if needed.
4. 4Add diced onion to the skillet and cook until softened and lightly golden, roughly 4 minutes, then stir in minced garlic until fragrant.
5. 5Pour in the pizza sauce, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper; simmer 3 to 4 minutes so the mixture thickens slightly and coats the meat.
6. 6Remove the skillet from heat and fold in ricotta plus half the mozzarella so the filling stays creamy and stretchy after baking.
7. 7Spoon the cheesy sausage mixture generously into each pepper half, mounding it slightly, then top with the remaining mozzarella and all the Parmesan.
8. 8Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake 20 minutes; uncover and continue baking 10 to 12 minutes until the peppers are tender-crisp and the cheese is deeply melted with golden spots.
9. 9Let the stuffed peppers rest 5 minutes so the filling sets and the cheese pull stays dramatic when served.
10. 10Garnish with torn fresh basil and plate two halves per person while still hot and bubbling.