Three Meat Stuffed Banana Peppers Recipes

Steps:

• Grease two 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce in each dish; set aside., Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, bread crumbs, 2/3 cup cheese, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Crumble the beef, sausage and veal over mixture; mix well. Spoon into peppers., In a large skillet, cook peppers in oil in batches over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Arrange 12 peppers in each prepared dish. Top with remaining sauce; sprinkle with remaining cheese., Cover and freeze one dish for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining dish at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and peppers are tender., To use frozen stuffed peppers: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and peppers are tender.

Steps:

• Mix sausage, cheese, bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and egg together in mixing bowl. Season to taste. Adjust mixture with additional cheese and bread crumbs if too dry or moist - medium moisture for stuffing desired. Make a radial slice around the top of the banana pepper leaving the top intact. Pull back top and remove seeds if so desired. Gently stuff mixture into peppers. Place olive oil in hot saute pan. Gently place peppers in the pan and fry each side until browned. Place marinara sauce in middle of plate. Arrange peppers on top of marinara and grate the dry ricotta cheese on top of the hot peppers.

Steps:

• Cut peppers lengthwise; remove core and seeds. Set aside.
• In large bowl, mix meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, garlic, shallot, and all of the tsp of spices.
• Add rice to meat mixture and combine.
• Fill pepper halves with meat filling.
• Pour a layer of red sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
• Place peppers in pan.
• Pour the rest of the red sauce over the peppers.
• Sprinkle peppers with remaining 2 tsp of oregano.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
• Serve with rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta.

Steps:

• 1. Wash and remove the tops from the peppers with a sharp knife.
• 2. Carefully slit the peppers lengthwise and remove the stems, seeds and membrane. Leave the tip closed and the stem end open. Tip: Make sure the peppers lay flat on the counter before you slit them. This will form a pocket for the filling.
• 3. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, drop in the peppers and set the timer for 3 minutes. When the time is up, remove the peppers and drain on papper towels, slit side down.
• 4. Meat: Heat a skillet with one tablespoon of olive oil. Remove the casings from the sausages and break them up with a spoon and add them to the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon A-I sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until meat is done, then drain and remove to a mixing bowl.
• 5. Cool, then add 1 beaten egg and 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of crushed French's fried onions, and mix well. Set aside.
• 6. Sauce: To make the sauce, add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil to a medium skillet. Saute 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 3 cloves of minced garlic, until transparent. Then add 4 tablespoons fresh basil, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar, mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato sauce. Cook about five more minutes.
• 7. Add 1/2 cup of the Sauce to the Meat mixture and mix well. Stuff the prepared peppers with the Meat Mixture and place them close together in a baking pan about 2 inches deep and just big enough to hold all the peppers in a single layer.
• 8. Spoon the Sauce over the peppers.
• 9. Bake the peppers in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Top with Italian cheese and return to oven just until the cheese melts. About 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Serve. Enjoy!
• 10. Cook's Tip: Peppers, Sauce and Meat can all be made ahead for a fast dinner. This recipe makes enough stuffing and sauce for 12, six-inch banana peppers.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Mix the three cheeses in a medium-sized bowl.
• Prepare the peppers by cutting off tops and carefully scraping out the seeds with a knife (try not to poke holes in the peppers).
• Stuff each pepper with the cheese mixture, using the end of a spoon or your finger to pack the cheeses tightly.
• After all the peppers are stuffed, pour a small amount of the sauce into a baking dish (I use a 9"x9" dish), coating the bottom.
• Arrange the stuffed peppers into a single layer in the bottom of the dish (it's OK to lay a few on top if you run out of room in the dish).
• If you had any remaining cheese mixture left, you may sprinkle it on top of the peppers now or simply freeze it for next time.
• Pour the remaining spaghetti sauce on top of the peppers, covering them completely.
• Bake, covered, for 30-40 minutes, or until peppers are soft and sauce is nice and bubbly (it may take longer if the peppers have thick flesh).
• Serve with spaghetti or other pasta.
• NOTE: Measurements for the cheeses are approximate; you may adjust the amounts and types of cheeses to your own taste.