Creole Stuffed Peppers

Smoky andouille sausage, tender rice, and fire-roasted tomatoes turn these colorful peppers into a cozy Creole-inspired bake. It’s a one-pan filling that feels special enough for company but easy enough for a weeknight.

All nutrition facts are AI generated and approximate.

Ingredients

Peppers

• 4 bell peppers (yellow, orange or red), halved lengthwise and seeded
• 4 Tbs olive oil (divided)

Creole rice & sausage filling

• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 (13 oz) Hillshire Farm Cajun Andouille smoked sausage, sliced into coins
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional, for extra heat)
• 1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup basmati rice (or other long grain rice)

Cheese

• 8 oz cheddar jack cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Lay peppers face up on a cookie sheet and drizzle with 2 Tbs olive oil.
2. Turn the broiler on high. Broil peppers for about 5 minutes, watching closely, until lightly blackened around the edges. As soon as you see the blackening, pull them from the oven. Turn off the broiler and preheat oven to 350°F, making sure a rack is in the middle.
3. Dice onion and celery. Slice sausage into coins.
4. Add the remaining 2 Tbs olive oil to a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onion, celery, and sausage and sauté until vegetables are soft and sausage is browned.
5. Turn heat to medium-low. Add garlic, thyme, oregano, paprika, cayenne, and crushed red pepper (if using). Sauté about 1 minute until fragrant.
6. Pour in chicken broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom.
7. Stir in the fire roasted tomatoes and rice. Turn heat up to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally.
8. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
9. Transfer the broiled pepper halves to a 9×13-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle about one third of the cheddar jack into the bottom of each pepper.
10. Turn off the heat under the rice mixture. Spoon the sausage-and-rice filling evenly into the peppers, mounding slightly.
11. Top with the remaining cheese.
12. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let rest a few minutes before serving.