By Kelly Bogard
Texas rice is having a record year with some of the highest yields in the nation for 2017. And that’s great news for Texas rice lovers like me. My favorite rice variety is called Texmati. I used it in a Spanish Rice recipe a few years back.
I love the buttery flavor of this rice. And even though my fall back is to combine it with Spanish or Mexican spices, it works well with all kinds of flavors. The same goes for peppers. They lend themselves to warm southern flavors. But sometimes you have to shake things up. So, this week I thought we could explore some Italian flavors.
For Pesto Peppers you will need…
6 bell peppers, any color
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 c. uncooked rice
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (7 oz.) jar pesto
1/2 c. shaved Parmesan cheese
This recipe is way more than I ever expected. There is the sweetness of the peppers, robust flavor in the sausage and buttery rice. Then add the creaminess of the cheeses and the punch of the pesto, and you have one tasty meal.
Start by removing the sausage from the casing and brown it in a large skillet. You should also cook your rice per the package instructions now.
While everything is cooking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and prep your peppers by cutting off the tops and removing the seed and ribs.
Drain the grease off of the sausage and combine it in a large bowl with the rice, cream cheese, pesto and Parmesan cheese while the cooked ingredients are still warm.
Stuff each pepper and place in a 9×13 baking dish. There will likely be some Parmesan left over from your package, so be sure to sprinkle a little more on top of each before putting them in the oven. You will bake them for 30 minutes or until the tops begin to brown.
Congrats to the Texas rice farmers for an outstanding 2017. We hope you have a ‘rice’ day! From all of us at Texas Table Top, enjoy!
Prep Time | 10 minutes |
Cook Time | 50 minutes |
Servings |
servings
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- 6 bell peppers any color
- 1 lb. Italian sausage
- 1 c. uncooked rice
- 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese softened
- 1 (7 oz.) jar pesto
- 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese shaved
Ingredients
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|
- Remove sausage from casing and brown over medium heat.
- Cook rice per package instructions.
- Preheat oven in 375 degrees.
- Remove tops, seeds and ribs from each pepper.
- Strain grease from cooked sausage.
- Combine sausage, rice, cream cheese, pesto and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl.
- Stuff each pepper with the sausage and rice mixture.
- Place peppers face up in a 9x13 baking dish.
- Top with additional Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Serve warm.
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