Bob's Stuffed Banana Peppers
These stuffed banana peppers are filled with an Italian sausage mixture and baked in a delicious tomato sauce. We get requests to make this awesome recipe for banana peppers all the time from the guys my husband works with.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 8 persons
Ingredients
- 8banana peppers
- 2tablespoons butter
- ½cup chopped onion
- ½cup chopped celery
- 1(28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1(8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2cloves garlic, minced
- 2½ teaspoons salt, divided
- 1teaspoon dried basil
- 1teaspoon dried oregano
- ½teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- ½cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1large egg
- 1teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1pound hot Italian sausage
- 1pound mild Italian sausage
- 1½ cups bread crumbs
Instructions
Step 1
Cut off the tops of peppers. Chop edible portions of the tops; set aside. Use a small knife to slice lengthwise through one side of each pepper; remove ribs and seeds.Step 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peppers, reduce heat, and simmer until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.Step 3
Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté reserved chopped pepper, onion, and celery in hot butter until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and garlic. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, basil, oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.Step 4
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).Step 5
Meanwhile, combine Parmesan cheese, egg, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl. Mix in hot sausage, mild sausage, bread crumbs, and 1 cup tomato sauce mixture until well combined.Step 6
Fill each pepper with sausage mixture using a piping bag or sausage stuffer. Place in a 3-quart casserole dish; pour remaining tomato sauce mixture over peppers.Step 7
Bake uncovered in the preheated oven until sauce is bubbly and sausage is cooked through, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the filling should read at least 160 degrees F (72 degrees C).