Stuffed Banana Peppers
These breadcrumb-topped stuffed banana peppers are an easy dinner recipe. They're filled with sausage, cream cheese, and pimentos, and baked in a pool of marinara.
Ingredients
- 2 tbspPanko Breadcrumbs
- 2 tbspParmesan Cheese, grated
- 1 tbspOlive Oil
- 0.5 mediumYellow Onion, chopped
- 2Garlic, finely chopped
- 1 lbhot Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1(4-oz.) jar pimentos, chopped drained
- 4 oz(1/2 block) cream cheese, cubed
- 1.5 cupfontina cheese or Italian blend cheese (about 6 oz.), shredded
- 0.25 cupFlat Leaf Parsley, chopped
- 1.75 cupMarinara Sauce
- 4 largebanana peppers, lengthwise, halved seeded
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- 2
In a small bowl, combine the panko, parmesan, and 1 teaspoon of the oil.
- 3
In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain off the fat.
- 4
Reduce the heat to low and add the pimentos and cream cheese, stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the mixture is well combined. Remove from the heat. Fold 1 cup of the fontina and 3 tablespoons of the parsley into the sausage mixture.
- 5
Spread the marinara in a large baking dish. Divide the sausage mixture among the pepper halves (about ¼ cup each). Place the peppers in the baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of fontina, then sprinkle with the panko mixture.
- 6
Bake the peppers until bubbly and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley before serving.