SAUSAGE AND LENTIL STUFFED PEPPERS

Name: Sausage and Lentil Stuffed Peppers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers; 2 cups cooked brown lentils; 2 cups cooked brown rice; 1 cup chopped onion; 2 cloves garlic – minced; 1 lb. chicken sausage – casing removed; 1.25 cups 2% milk mozzarella cheese; 0.25 cups dried cranberries; 0.25 cup dried apricots – chopped; 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts; 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons chopped basil; 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley

[[ recipeID=recipe-8kfy5ahxm, title=Sausage and Lentil Stuffed Peppers ]]

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

4 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
2 cups cooked brown lentils
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic – minced
1 lb. chicken sausage – casing removed
1 ¼ cups 2% milk mozzarella cheese
¼ cups dried cranberries
¼ cup dried apricots – chopped
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped basil
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley

Instructions

Cut peppers in half, cleaning the interior. Place in a pot of water with a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes then take off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes with the lid on. Drain and place in a baking dish. Sauté the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and sauté for another 2 minutes. Place in a large bowl. Add rice, lentils, cranberries, apricots, and walnuts. Cook the sausage and add it to the bowl. Mix the ingredients in the bowl and add 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, basil, parsley, and 1 cup of cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Heat the oven to 375°F. Stuff the peppers with the mixture and top with the remaining cheese. Cook covered for 20 minutes then uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Click for larger image

Amount Per Serving
Calories 688
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25.2g		38%
Saturated Fat 11.4g		57%
Trans Fat 0g
Sodium 584mg		24%
Total Carbohydrate 61g		20%
Dietary Fiber 11.8g		47%
Sugars 14.5g
Protein 54.7g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

Notes

The peppers can easily be prepared a day ahead and then heated before serving.