Italian Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers have always been a go-to for me. The perfect pocket for a single serving of dinner, whether it be a stuffing of rice and black beans for a mexican flavor, or maybe quinoa and veggies for a lighter feeling supper; I’ve been a long time fan of using bell peppers as a favorite vehicle for a yummy meal.

For this recipe, I made the peppers grain-free and added an Italian twist with my favorite gluten-free//nitrate-free sausages and a heap of Mediterranean spices. What resulted was a dinner I have made again and again for the hubby and myself; we never seem to get tired of it!

The best part about this recipe is it makes at least two meals for us; sometimes even 3. It’s batch cooking at it’s easiest, and with a recipe this good neither of us complains about eating the same thing the next day.

Italian Stuffed Peppers
Serves 5-6

Please don’t be discouraged by the seemingly long list of ingredients- most of it is spices. This recipe comes together quickly and easily- I promise!

5-6 medium-sized peppers, steamed or par-cooked for 5-6 minutes until just soft
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, diced small
1 lb ground grass-fed beef
1 lb Italian ground sausage (gluten-free//nitrate-free)
1 cup kale, chopped small and packed
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp basil
1 tsp orgeano
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp anise (fennel) seeds
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
pinch nutmeg
6-oz can organic tomato paste
sea salt, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place peppers in a medium glass baking dish, packed in close. Set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a large sautee pan. Add onions and garlic and cook until translucent. Add zucchini and cook until just softened.

3. Add beef and crumbled sausage; cook until browned and no longer pink. Add spices and stir well. Cook for 2 minutes.

4. Stir in tomato paste, followed by kale. Cook until kale is just wilted. Scoop mixture evenly into peppers.