Stuffed Bell Peppers with Italian Chicken Sausage and Couscous or Lentils

Turn bell peppers into Italian treasure chests stuffed with savory chicken sausage, tender couscous or lentils and rich marinara, then finished with bubbling mozzarella. This flexible recipe lets you customize each pepper based on your household’s needs-use couscous for a classic version or lentils for a gluten-free-friendly option. Cooking for mixed diets? No problem-fill some peppers with couscous and others with lentils.

This crowd-pleasing dinner brings piazza vibes straight to your table with simple, pre-measured ingredients and easy-to-follow steps. Whether you’re feeding a family or meal-prepping for the week, these stuffed peppers are sure to become a favorite.

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Ingredients

14 ounce Marinara SauceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.75 cup Pearl CouscousView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

9 ounce Italian Chicken Sausage MixView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit OnionView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit Chicken Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit LentilsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 cup Mozzarella CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit Bell PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon (tsp) Olive OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon (tsp) Cooking OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) Black PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425°F. Wash and dry produce. Halve bell peppers lengthwise; remove stems and seeds. Halve, peel and dice onion into ½-inch pieces. Drain and rinse lentils.
2. Place bell pepper halves on a baking sheet and lightly drizzle each half with olive oil; rub to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange cut sides down on sheet. Roast on top rack until tender, 10-15 minutes.
3. In a small pot, bring couscous, half the stock concentrates and 1 cup water (2 cups for 4 servings) to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to low; cook until al dente, 6-8 minutes. Drain any excess liquid if necessary. Keep covered off heat until ready to use in Step 5.
4. Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sausage; cook, stirring and breaking up meat into pieces, until sausage is browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Stir in marinara sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer; cook until slightly reduced, 2-4 minutes.
5. For Couscous Filling: Using a spoon, transfer half the sausage mixture to pot with couscous; stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper. For Lentil Filling: To pan with remaining sausage mixture, add lentils and remaining stock concentrate; cook, stirring constantly, until warmed through, 1-2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
6. Once bell peppers are done roasting, remove sheet from oven; use tongs to flip bell peppers (careful-baking sheet will be hot!). Stuff bell pepper halves with as much couscous filling and/or lentil filling as desired. (Reserve any remaining filling for serving.) Evenly sprinkle mozzarella over pepper halves. Return to top rack and bake until cheese is melted and lightly browned, 4-6 minutes.
7. Divide stuffed peppers between plates. Serve with any remaining fillings on the side.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use ground beef instead of chicken sausage?

Yes, you can substitute ground beef or turkey for the Italian chicken sausage. Adjust cooking time as needed to ensure it’s fully cooked.

How do I make this recipe dairy-free?

Omit the mozzarella cheese or use a dairy-free alternative. The filling will still be delicious without cheese.

Can I prepare these stuffed peppers ahead of time?

Yes, you can assemble the stuffed peppers (without baking) and refrigerate them for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes if needed.