Stuffed Peppers {Low-Carb and Gluten-Free}

Ingredients:

• 4 bell peppers, cleaned with seeds and tops removed
• 4 Italian sausage links, hot or mild
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons cream cheese
• 1 cup low carb tomato/marinara sauce
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• pinch of salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Slice the tops of the peppers off and remove and discard the seeds and white membrane from inside. A bit can be trimmed from the bottom of the pepper as well, if it does not sit evenly flat on a surface. Place peppers on a sprayed/greased sheet pan or a shallow baking dish.
2. Remove Italian sausages from the casing and set aside. (Note: The recipe can be prepared with 1 pound of ground Italian sausage instead of 4 links). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet at medium-high heat on the stove. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the Italian Sausage and cook until browned, stirring continuously, for 5-10 minutes.
4. Add the cream cheese and tomato/marinara sauce; stir together thoroughly for about 2 minutes until melted and fully incorporated. Turn off the heat on the stove and add half of the two cheeses to the mixture. Taste the mixture and add more seasoning if needed.
5. Spoon the mixture into the peppers, and cover the pan with foil. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the remaining cheese. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and the peppers are soft. Turning on the broiler for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking can help to brown the cheese.

• Yield: 4