These stuffed peppers are filled with ground pork and chopped bacon sausage, cooked with rice, tomato sauce, beef broth, and cheddar cheese, then baked in halved red bell peppers. The honest reason to make them: one pan for the filling, one baking dish, and dinner is done with almost nothing to wash up.
The technique that matters
The filling technique is what separates a soggy mess from a tight, cohesive stuffing. Brown the ground pork and sliced bacon sausage together over medium-high heat and don’t rush it — you want real color on the meat, not just grey. That browning builds the fond on the pan bottom, which dissolves into the broth and tomato sauce when you deglaze, flavoring the rice as it cooks. The second thing that matters is the blanch. Two to three minutes in boiling water softens the pepper halves just enough so they finish cooking through in the oven without turning to mush. Skip it and you’ll either pull the peppers early with crunchy walls or leave them in long enough to dry out the filling. Neither is good.
If something goes sideways
- Filling is soupy after baking: The rice absorbed less liquid than expected. Next time reduce the broth by two tablespoons, or let the filling simmer a minute longer before stuffing. For now, drain off the excess liquid with a spoon before serving.
- Rice is still crunchy inside the pepper: The filling didn’t get hot enough long enough. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and return it to the oven for another 10–15 minutes. Trapped steam finishes the rice without burning the cheese.
- Cheese topping is browning too fast: Lay a loose sheet of foil over the dish for the last 10 minutes. The cheese will still melt fully without going dark.
- Peppers are collapsing and won’t hold their shape: They were blanched too long or are very thin-walled. Prop them against each other in the baking dish so they lean and support one another — skip the garnish, not worth the extra dish.
- Filling tastes flat: Bacon sausages vary a lot in salt and smoke level. Taste the filling before stuffing and adjust with salt, pepper, or an extra pinch of oregano. Do this before the cheese goes in so you can judge the seasoning clearly.
Make-ahead notes
You can make the entire filling up to two days ahead and keep it in the fridge in the same pan you cooked it in, covered. Blanch the peppers the day before and store them in a zip bag or covered container. When you’re ready, stuff and bake straight from the fridge — add 10 minutes to the bake time since everything is cold. Fully assembled and baked peppers keep in the fridge for three days; reheat covered in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the filling hits 165°F (74°C). For freezing, freeze the filling and the peppers separately — frozen peppers turn watery and soft once thawed, so blanch a fresh batch when you’re ready to cook. Filling freezes well for up to two months; thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
Scrumptious Pork and Bacon Sausage Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
4 sausages - bacon sausages
Instructions
- Saute 1 package of bacon sausage (4 links), out of the casing, with the pork, chopped onion and garlic until the bacon is booked and the onions are soft. Then add the rest of the ingredients and stir (except for the cheese). Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the rice is soft. Add more beef broth if you need more liquid.
- While cooking, cut the tops off three or four peppers and de-seed. Toss into a large pot of boiling water for less than five minutes (until cooked but not mushy). Then cut them in half and put them skin side down in a casserole dish to line the bottom.
- When the rice is done in your bacon sausage filling, stir in ½ cup of shredded cheddar, then spoon the filling over all the peppers in the casserole. Top with the rest of the shredded cheddar. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 30 minutes until the cheese is melted, and serve. Your family will never stop thanking you.
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I use green or yellow bell peppers instead of red?
Yes, any color works structurally. Red peppers are the sweetest and soften most evenly, while green peppers have a slightly bitter edge that some people like against the rich pork filling — yellow and orange fall in between.
How do I know the ground pork filling is fully cooked inside the pepper?
Use an instant-read thermometer and check the center of the filling — it needs to reach 160°F (71°C). Visual cues alone aren’t reliable here because the filling is packed inside the pepper and can look done on top while still being underdone in the middle.
What can I use instead of bacon sausages if I can’t find them?
Use any smoked pork sausage — bratwurst, kielbasa, or a good-quality breakfast sausage all work. The key is finding something with a noticeable smoky or cured flavor, since that’s what the bacon sausage is contributing to the filling.
Do I need to pre-cook the rice before adding it to the filling?
No — the recipe uses uncooked rice, which absorbs the broth and tomato sauce as the filling simmers on the stovetop. Just make sure the liquid is actually simmering when the rice goes in and that you give it enough time to become tender before you stuff the peppers.
What to cook next
- Spicy Beef Stuffed Peppers
- Cumberland Sausage Mince Pie
- Sweet Savory Scotch Eggs
- Savory Pork Stottie Filling
