Sausage, Goat Cheese and Arugula Stuffed Peppers
In terms of produce selection, August is my favorite month of the year. Tomatoes, peppers, okra, peaches, figs, berries – you get the point. Pretty much all of my favorite foods are available in August. I love spending my Saturday mornings at the farmers market with Eric and Clara, especially when we bring home so many wonderful foods and so much inspiration for the upcoming week.
This dinner was the result of a random “what can we make with what’s in the fridge?” type of meal about three years ago. We had peppers and spinach from the farmers market, neither of which had a purpose, and that’s how this dinner came to life. The concept of it stuck around, and I’ve played around with the fillings based on what we have on hand. It’s always meat + cheese + greens. My favorite combination is sausage, goat cheese and arugula, but anything goes. It’s hard to go wrong when peppers are stuffed with anything. Using this basic recipe as a guide, I’m confident you can come up with an endless array of stuffed peppers to try before summer is over.
- YIELD: 3 servings
3 medium bell peppers, halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
2 teaspoons olive oil
⅔ pound (2 links) sausage of your choice, casings removed
4 ounces goat cheese, softened
2 large handfuls of arugula (about 1½ ounces)
Salt, pepper and/or red pepper flakes, to taste
1½ tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- 1
Heat oven to 400º. Place the peppers on a baking sheet and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until it browns, crumbling with a wooden spoon as it cooks. (If needed, drain the sausage before continuing.) Once the sausage has browned, reduce heat to low and stir in the arugula and goat cheese until the cheese has melted and the arugula is wilted. Taste and add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, if desired.
- 2
Spoon the filling into the peppers and sprinkle each half with Parmesan. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the peppers have softened slightly. Serve immediately.
I grew up hating peppers and while I still don’t enjoy the green ones, I love red, orange and yellow. And stuffing them is my favorite way to enjoy them. Love the combination of flavors you used in these!!
I grew up hating peppers and while I still don’t enjoy the green ones, I love red, orange and yellow. And stuffing them is my favorite way to enjoy them. Love the combination of flavors you used in these!!
Such a great reminder that I’ve yet to stuff a pepper this year! They really are great jumping off points for just about anything. I definitely love the idea of goat cheese, greens and a protein though!
Such a great reminder that I’ve yet to stuff a pepper this year! They really are great jumping off points for just about anything. I definitely love the idea of goat cheese, greens and a protein though!
Sounds delicious! I love stuffed pepper and I am always looking for new combinations. These are going into rotation ASAP!
Sounds delicious! I love stuffed pepper and I am always looking for new combinations. These are going into rotation ASAP!
We had these for dinner tonight and loved them! Thanks so much for sharing.
We had these for dinner tonight and loved them! Thanks so much for sharing.
would spinach work in place of arugula??
Sure! I love spinach + sausage, and I think it would be a great combo in this recipe.
Sure! I love spinach + sausage, and I think it would be a great combo in this recipe.
I’ve had this pinned for forever, and am always meaning to make it. Sounds like a great alternative to regular old stuffed peppers, which I’m not a fan of. I was thinking I’d make it Sunday for company. Any ideas for a good side dish to serve with this?
We typically serve these with garlic rice pilaf or bulgur pilaf (the recipes are on the site, but we are at Disney so I can’t link). The couscous with toasted pine nuts is another good option.