Sausage-Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers
A crockpot recipe for sausage-stuffed mini sweet peppers served over spaghetti.
Prep
0
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 8oz shredded mozzarella cheese
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 24oz jar spaghetti sauce
📦Other(1)
- 24oz mini sweet peppers
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
682
Protein
34g
Carbs
29g
Fat
49g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Label your freezer bag.
- 2
Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds.
- 3
Stuff the peppers with sausage.
- 4
Add stuffed peppers and spaghetti sauce to your freezer bag.
- 5
Remove as much air as possible, seal, and freeze for up to three months.
- 6
Thaw freezer bag overnight in refrigerator or in water in the morning.
- 7
Add contents of freezer bag to crockpot.
- 8
Cook on 'low' setting for 6-8 hours.
- 9
Add mozzarella cheese and cook for additional 10 minutes or until melted.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Brown the ground sausage to 160°F internal temperature before stuffing because this renders 30-40% of fat and prevents grease pooling in the pepper cavities during the 6-8 hour slow cook.technique160°F internal temperature
- ✓Cut peppers lengthwise rather than removing just the top—this creates a larger opening for even sausage distribution and allows sauce to penetrate all sides equally during the slow cook, preventing dry spots.technique
- ✓Add mozzarella cheese to the crockpot during the final 20 minutes of cooking, not before freezing, because prolonged slow cooking breaks down casein proteins and causes separated, oily texture rather than creamy melt.timing20 minutes before serving
- ✓Thaw the freezer bag overnight (12+ hours) in the refrigerator rather than using water thaw because slow thawing allows sausage fat to solidify and reduces risk of bacterial growth in the 4-6°F danger zone.timing12+ hours refrigerator thaw
- ✓Use a 6-quart or larger crockpot to maintain a 3:1 liquid-to-pepper ratio—this prevents overcrowding, which traps steam and softens peppers to mush rather than maintaining slight firmness after 6-8 hours.equipment6-quart minimum|3:1 liquid ratio
Share this recipe
Prep
0
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Sausage-Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers
A crockpot recipe for sausage-stuffed mini sweet peppers served over spaghetti.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 8oz shredded mozzarella cheese
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 24oz jar spaghetti sauce
📦Other(1)
- 24oz mini sweet peppers
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
682
Protein
34g
Carbs
29g
Fat
49g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Label your freezer bag.
- 2
Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds.
- 3
Stuff the peppers with sausage.
- 4
Add stuffed peppers and spaghetti sauce to your freezer bag.
- 5
Remove as much air as possible, seal, and freeze for up to three months.
- 6
Thaw freezer bag overnight in refrigerator or in water in the morning.
- 7
Add contents of freezer bag to crockpot.
- 8
Cook on 'low' setting for 6-8 hours.
- 9
Add mozzarella cheese and cook for additional 10 minutes or until melted.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Brown the ground sausage to 160°F internal temperature before stuffing because this renders 30-40% of fat and prevents grease pooling in the pepper cavities during the 6-8 hour slow cook.technique160°F internal temperature
- ✓Cut peppers lengthwise rather than removing just the top—this creates a larger opening for even sausage distribution and allows sauce to penetrate all sides equally during the slow cook, preventing dry spots.technique
- ✓Add mozzarella cheese to the crockpot during the final 20 minutes of cooking, not before freezing, because prolonged slow cooking breaks down casein proteins and causes separated, oily texture rather than creamy melt.timing20 minutes before serving
- ✓Thaw the freezer bag overnight (12+ hours) in the refrigerator rather than using water thaw because slow thawing allows sausage fat to solidify and reduces risk of bacterial growth in the 4-6°F danger zone.timing12+ hours refrigerator thaw
- ✓Use a 6-quart or larger crockpot to maintain a 3:1 liquid-to-pepper ratio—this prevents overcrowding, which traps steam and softens peppers to mush rather than maintaining slight firmness after 6-8 hours.equipment6-quart minimum|3:1 liquid ratio