Sausage and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

 I had some peppers from Costco sitting in the refridgerator - so I decided to make Sausage and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers. (This helps to prove that I sometimes cook dinner.)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa 
• 12 ounces hot Italian sausage (2 links from Costco pack)
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon each of basil, oregano, black pepper and garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon (or a shake or two) dried red pepper seeds
• 4 bell peppers
• 5 ounces grated mozzarella cheese

   

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray casserole dish with cooking spray, at least to pepper height.
2. Cook quinoa in 2 cups of water
   (Follow instructions on bag - something like heat to boil, simmer 15 minutes)
3. Cook sausages, then mince in food processor. Let cool while quinoa cooks.
4. Mix spices into tomato sauce.
5. Mix quinoa, sausage, and tomato sauce together. Mix in 1/2 of cheese.
6. Mix in tomato sauce.
   (Use more sauce if you like it saucier.)
7. Cut off tops from bell peppers, cut out seeds and white membranes. 
8. Cut the pepper flesh off the tops, dice.
9. Fill peppers with the quinoa/sausage mix.
   (Pack in stuffing somewhat, but leave about a 1/4 inch depression across each pepper  to catch the cheese.)
10. Add rest of cheese to top of peppers.
11. Arrange peppers in casserole. Place leftover stuffing in cracks at bottom of casserole. Top with diced tops of peppers.
    (This can be someone's lunch later.)
12. If desired - pre-bake peppers 10 minutes in microwave to speed dinner along. (I did)
13. Cover casserole dish with foil, bake for another 15 minutes or so.
    (Bake for 30 minutes if not pre-baking in microwave. You want peppers to soften.)
14. Let cool a bit, and serve with green salad,

Carole's Notes:

Recipe is from memory and what I did tonight.

It is ok to be flexible and add more sauce, or saute some onions and add them in.