Peppers Stuffed with Cream Cheese and Sausage

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Servings: 8
Yield: 8 servings

Description

Bell peppers stuffed with a smooth, savory blend of Parmesan, cream cheese, and sage-flavored pork sausage are an easy meal for any cheese-loving family.

Ingredients

1 pound bulk sage-flavored pork sausage
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon bacon bits, or to taste
1 clove garlic, minced, or to taste
salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 large bell peppers - halved, seeded, and stems removed
2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese, or to taste

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a square baking pan with aluminum foil.
2 Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease.
3 Combine cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, bacon bits, and garlic in a bowl. Stir in cooked sausage and season with salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until all ingredients are well combined.
4 Scoop sausage mixture into the pepper halves; press lightly to pack. Don't overstuff or understuff. Place in the prepared pan.
5 Bake until stuffing has hardened slightly on the top, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.
6 Let sit for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.