Nonna’s Sausage Stuffed Banana Peppers

Sausage stuffed banana peppers are a staple in our home thanks to the big flavors from a few simple ingredients. If you’re looking for something new to do with seasonal produce and ground meat, then this simple stuffed pepper recipe is for you!

Certain foods are just total comfort foods thanks to childhood nostalgia.

One of our favorites?

Stuffed peppers.

There’s something so good about that delicious sweet pepper flavor infusing into every bite of the filling while it bakes.

As much as I loved southern style stuffed peppers, nothing prepared me for the version my husband’s Italian Nonna made.

While not the version I grew up with, these Italian sausage stuffed banana peppers are so good and still check that nostalgia box for me.

Since we’ve gotten married, they’ve become a staple in our family’s recipe rotation.

Making them is easy with only a few ingredients and 30 minutes standing between you and big flavor.

Ingredients

To make them you’ll need:

• Sausage – I recommend ground Italian sausage, although you could also use plain ground pork and season it to your liking.
• Cheese – You’ll need both shredded mozzarella and a blend of Parmesan and romano. Freshly shredded melts best, but the bagged kind will work too.
• Garlic – Freshly minced garlic cloves go a long way to making the flavors of these stuffed banana peppers sing.
• Banana Peppers – You can use either the hot or sweet variety in this recipe. They work interchangeably, so it’s just up to your personal preference and what’s growing in your garden.
• Marinara sauce – Your favorite store bought kind will work just fine or you can use homemade marinara sauce.

How to Make

These Italian sausage stuffed banana peppers are pretty easy to make.

Start by slicing the tops off of the peppers with a sharp pairing knife, scooping out the seeds, and discarding them.

Then rinse and pat the prepared peppers dry.

Set them aside while you make the filling.

To make the filling, stir the meat, cheeses, and garlic together in a mixing bowl.

Stuff the meat mixture evenly into all the hollowed peppers.

Put the stuffed banana peppers on a parchment covered baking sheet.

Bake them for 30 minutes at 350°.

Serve them warm with a drizzle of warm marinara sauce.

Serving Suggestions

While stuffed banana peppers are delicious, they make a yummy appetizer or main dish that needs to be served with a side.

To fill them out, we like to pair them with one or more of these options:

• Steamed White Rice
• Side Salad
• Crusty Bread
• Roasted Vegetables
• French Fries
• Pasta

Storing Leftovers

Cooled leftover stuffed banana peppers can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheat them in the microwave when you are ready to enjoy the leftovers.

Do I have to use Italian sausage in stuffed banana peppers?

That’s our preference and how Nonna made them, but you can use any number of different proteins like:

• plain ground pork
• ground turkey
• ground chicken
• a different variety of ground sausage
• lean ground beef

If you choose to use plain ground pork, turkey, chicken, or beef, you will probably want to add extra seasonings for more flavor.

Experiment with different choices or even different combinations to see what your family likes best!

Can I freeze stuffed banana peppers?

Yes!

Stuffed banana peppers are a very freezer friendly meal and one of our favorites to make ahead and freeze for later.

To do it, cook the stuffed banana peppers as instructed above.

When the banana peppers are done, carefully remove them from the oven and let them cool completely.

Once they are cool, transfer them to a freezer safe ziplocking bag.

You can add the whole batch to the bag, or divvy it up into several bags in portion sizes that work for you and your family.

Seal the bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

To cook them from frozen, pull them out of the freezer, add them to a baking dish, and cover them with a thin layer of pasta sauce.

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil.

Bake the frozen stuffed banana peppers for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until they are hot all the way through.

Tips and Tricks

• To add some heat to the dish use a spicy sausage, or add a pinch of red pepper flakes. If you like things spicy, you can do this while using spicy banana peppers since the peppers’ heat lives mostly in the seeds, which get discarded.
• I highly recommend pairing your meat and peppers with those of the opposite heat level for maximum flavor so hot banana peppers with mild sausage or spicy sausage with sweet banana peppers. And for maximum spice, go for hot sausage and hot banana peppers.
• In addition to serving the peppers with warm marinara sauce, you can garnish them with extra cheese and a sprinkle of fresh, chopped basil leaves.
• Double the recipe and freeze half for later!

Other Stuffed Pepper Recipes

Sausage stuffed banana peppers are easy to make and a delicious way to turn seasonal produce into a dish the whole family will love.

Make it and enjoy!

Looking for other ways to make stuffed peppers?

Check these recipes out:

• Stuffed Pepper Skillet
• Chicken & Cornbread Stuffed Peppers
• Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Italian Stuffed Peppers

If you’ve tried these SAUSAGE STUFFED BANANA PEPPERS, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!