January 21, 2026
Bell peppers stuffed with Italian sausage, rice, black beans, and corn, topped with melted pepper jack cheese.
dinnerWord Count: 311
| Total time: 1 hour |
|---|
| Prep time: 30 minutes |
| Cook time: 30 minutes |
Equipment
| Equipment |
|---|
| Large Skillet |
| Baking Sheet |
| Baking Dish |
| Parchment Paper |
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Red Bell Peppers (halved, seeded) | 4 |
| Extra-Virgin Olive Oil | 2 tbsp + more for drizzling |
| Sweet Italian Sausage (ground) | 1 lb |
| Green Onion (cleaned, chopped) | 4 stalks |
| Garlic (minced) | 4 cloves |
| Tomato Paste | 2 tbsp |
| Sea Salt | 3/4 tsp + more for sprinkling |
| Black Pepper (freshly ground) | to taste |
| Cooked White Rice1 | 1 1/2 cups |
| Canned Black Beans (drained, rinsed) | 1 can (15 oz) |
| Canned Corn (drained) | 1 can (15 oz) |
| Mexican Cheese Blend (shredded)2 | 1 cup |
| Salsa | for serving (optional) |
| Avocado | for serving (optional) |
Steps
- Preheat oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place peppers cut side up on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 10 minutes until tender. Tip out and discard any liquid that pools inside the peppers. Set aside while preparing the filling.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it apart, until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the green onion and garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add the tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes until the tomato paste darkens and becomes fragrant.
- Remove from heat and stir in the brown rice, black beans, and corn. Season to taste.
- Fill the peppers with the rice and sausage mixture and top with the cheese.
- Place in a baking dish and broil for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned.
- Serve with salsa and avocado if desired.
-
Brown rice can be substituted. See how to cook brown rice for instructions. ↩︎
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Pepper jack cheese or any melty cheese works well here. ↩︎