Get ready to transform your weeknight dinner routine with these incredible pizza stuffed peppers! This recipe packs all the savory, cheesy, and satisfying flavors of your favorite pizza into a healthy, low-carb bell pepper shell. It’s a guaranteed family-pleaser that’s as fun to make as it is to eat. If you’re looking for a delicious way to enjoy pizza flavors without the carbs, you’ve found the perfect dish.
This isn’t just another stuffed pepper recipe; it’s a game-changer for anyone craving a hearty, guilt-free meal. We’re talking a rich and savory meat filling, bubbling mozzarella, and zesty pepperoni, all baked to perfection. It’s the ultimate comfort food mashup.
Why You’ll Love These Pizza Pepper Boats
Forget boring dinners. These pizza stuffed peppers are a vibrant, flavorful, and incredibly easy way to get a delicious meal on the table. They are a fantastic way to satisfy pizza cravings while sticking to a healthier, low-carb lifestyle.
- Incredibly Flavorful: A rich filling of Italian sausage, marinara, and classic pizza seasonings delivers that authentic pizzeria taste.
- Family-Friendly: Kids and adults alike will love this fun twist on two classic dishes. It’s a fantastic way to get extra veggies into your family’s diet.
- Low-Carb & Keto-Friendly: By swapping the pizza crust for bell peppers, you get a satisfying meal that’s naturally low in carbs and gluten-free.
- Easy to Customize: Just like a regular pizza, you can customize the fillings with your favorite toppings!
The Perfect Ingredients for Pizza Peppers
The magic of this recipe lies in its simple, high-quality ingredients. Each component is chosen to maximize that classic pizza flavor we all know and love.
Choosing Your Peppers
Bell peppers form the foundation of our dish. I prefer using a mix of colors like red, orange, and yellow because they are sweeter than green peppers and add a beautiful vibrancy to the final presentation. Look for peppers that are large and have a relatively flat bottom so they can sit upright in the baking dish.
The Pizza Filling
This is where the flavor explosion happens. We use a combination of savory ground Italian sausage and classic pizza toppings. The sausage provides a fantastic depth of flavor, but you could easily use ground beef or turkey. We’ll brown it with onion and garlic, then mix it with sugar-free marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and of course, mini pepperonis.
The Cheesy Topping
No pizza experience is complete without cheese! We use a generous amount of shredded mozzarella to get that glorious, bubbly, golden-brown topping. A little sprinkle of Parmesan adds a nice salty, nutty finish. For a truly authentic touch, a few more pepperonis on top get wonderfully crispy as they bake.
How to Make Pizza Stuffed Peppers (Step-by-Step)
This recipe is straightforward and perfect for a busy weeknight. Let’s walk through the simple steps to create these delicious pizza boats.
1. Prepare the Peppers
Start by preheating your oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice your bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes. Place them cut-side-up in a baking dish and bake for about 15 minutes. This pre-baking step is crucial as it softens the peppers, ensuring they are perfectly tender in the final dish.
2. Cook the Filling
While the peppers are in the oven, cook the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Add the diced onion and garlic, cooking until softened. Drain any excess grease. Stir in the marinara sauce, half of the mozzarella cheese, half of the mini pepperonis, and the Italian seasoning. Let it simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
3. Stuff and Bake
Once the peppers have pre-baked, carefully remove them from the oven. Spoon the delicious pizza filling evenly into each pepper half. Now for the best part: top each stuffed pepper generously with the remaining mozzarella cheese, a sprinkle of Parmesan, and the rest of the mini pepperonis. For a different but equally tasty dish, you might enjoy these Italian Sliders.
4. Bake to Perfection
Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes. You’re looking for the cheese to be completely melted, bubbly, and starting to get golden brown spots. The edges of the pepperoni should be delightfully crispy.
Tips for the Best Stuffed Peppers
Want to ensure your pizza stuffed peppers are absolutely perfect every time? Follow these simple tips.
- Don’t Skip Pre-Baking: Pre-baking the peppers is key to making sure they are tender and not crunchy.
- Drain the Grease: Be sure to drain the excess fat from the cooked sausage to prevent the filling from becoming greasy.
- Use Quality Marinara: A good quality, low-sugar marinara sauce will make a big difference in the overall flavor.
- Let Them Rest: Allow the peppers to cool for a few minutes after they come out of the oven. This helps the filling set and makes them easier to eat.
Easy Variations & Customizations
One of the best things about this pizza stuffed peppers recipe is how easy it is to adapt. Think of the pepper as your crust and get creative!
Meat Swaps
Not a fan of sausage? No problem! You can easily substitute it with lean ground beef, ground turkey, or even shredded chicken. For a spicier kick, try using chorizo. This reminds me of another great recipe, our famous Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe.
Add More Veggies
Feel free to load up your filling with more vegetables. Sautéed mushrooms, diced black olives, or even some finely chopped spinach would be delicious additions. Just be sure to cook them along with the onion and garlic.
Cheese Variations
While mozzarella is classic, you could also use a provolone or an Italian cheese blend. For a bit of a kick, try adding some pepper jack cheese to the mix. For another cheesy favorite, check out this High Protein Mac and Cheese.
What to Serve with Pizza Stuffed Peppers
These peppers are a fantastic all-in-one meal, but if you’d like to serve them with a side, a simple garden salad with a light vinaigrette is a perfect choice. For a more substantial meal, a side of garlic bread (if you’re not going low-carb) or some steamed green beans would be excellent.
Storage, Reheating, and Make-Ahead Instructions
These pizza stuffed peppers are great for meal prep! Here’s how to handle leftovers and prepare them in advance.
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftover stuffed peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The flavors can actually meld and become even better the next day!
Reheating
The best way to reheat stuffed peppers is in the oven. Place them in a baking dish and heat at 350°F (175°C) for about 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also microwave them, but the oven helps to keep the cheese and pepperonis crispy.
Make-Ahead Tips
You can easily prepare this recipe ahead of time. Simply cook the filling and stuff the raw peppers. Store the stuffed, unbaked peppers in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to eat, just pop them in the oven, adding about 10-15 minutes to the total baking time since they’ll be starting from cold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they are! By using a sugar-free marinara sauce and the naturally low-carb bell pepper shell, this recipe is perfectly suitable for a keto diet. It’s a fantastic way to enjoy pizza flavors without the carbs.
Absolutely! You can prepare the entire dish without the final bake. Assemble the stuffed peppers, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to eat, just add about 10-15 minutes to the baking time.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. For best results, reheat them in an oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes until heated through. This keeps the topping crispy.
The key is to pre-bake the peppers for about 15 minutes before stuffing them. This initial bake helps to release some of their moisture and ensures they are tender, not mushy, in the final dish.
Bell peppers are the best choice. While you can use any color, red, yellow, and orange peppers are sweeter and tend to work better than green ones. Look for peppers that are large and wide, with a flat bottom to help them sit upright.
The Ultimate Pizza Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Pizza Stuffed Peppers (The BEST Low-Carb Recipe!)
Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the halved bell peppers in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes to soften.
- While the peppers are baking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground Italian sausage and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon. Add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Drain off any excess grease.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Stir the marinara sauce, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, half of the mini pepperonis, and the Italian seasoning into the skillet with the sausage mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the peppers from the oven. Carefully spoon the meat mixture evenly into each pepper half.
- Top the stuffed peppers with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, the grated Parmesan cheese, and the rest of the mini pepperonis.
- Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the filling is heated through and the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Tip 2: Feel free to add other pizza toppings like cooked mushrooms, black olives, or diced green onions to the filling.
Tip 3: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Share Your Creation!
I am confident that you and your family will absolutely love this pizza stuffed peppers recipe. It’s a fun, healthy, and incredibly satisfying meal that will have everyone asking for seconds. If you make this recipe, I would love to see it! Please feel free to share your creation and tag me on Pinterest. Your feedback and shares help so much, and I can’t wait to see your delicious pizza peppers!
