Monday, December 12, 2011

Miniature Sausage Stuffed Peppers + Small Plate Giveaway


From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of the National Pork Board. They recently conducted a survey to identify food trends that are appealing to American cooks this holiday season. They found six recurring themes for their 2011 Pork's Perfect Paring's guide and asked cookbook author Jill Silverman Hough to develop a pork recipe to go with each of them. They also asked some members of the blogging community to provide recipes and holiday ideas for each of the themes they were highlighting. I focused my attention on the Smitten with Small Plates category and for the next three days I'll be featuring pork dishes that work well as appetizers or small plate meals.

I think you'll all enjoy the recipes I'm featuring and the National Pork Board has a Small Plates gift set waiting for one of you. The gift set includes: $25 worth of pork coupons; Jill Silverman Hough cookbooks, including 100 Perfect Pairings: Main Dishes to Enjoy with the Wines You Love and 100 Perfect Pairings: Small Plates to Enjoy with the Wines You Love; an instant-read digital thermometer; tapas-style small plates and decorative skewers for holiday appetizers. If you'd like a chance to win, simply comment on one, or all three, of the recipes that are part of this promotion. Everyone can enter up to three entries to the drawing The winner, chosen by a random number drawing, will be announced on Saturday, December 17th. Good luck! While I have received a similar gift package, the opinions in this post are 100% mine.

I was immediately drawn to the color and novelty of the miniature peppers in the market this past week. I purchased a bag of them with no particular plan or recipe in mind and brought them home to puzzle the use to which they would be put. My family loves peppers and they have an equal fondness for Sicilian sausage. I decided to combine the two and came up with the miniature stuffed peppers that are being featured today. I started with a very mild Italian sausage to which I added cheese, parsley, rice, garlic and some fennel. While it chilled, I removed the tops and seeds from the small peppers and brushed their exteriors with a really heady olive oil. Each of the peppers was stuffed with a tablespoon or so of the sausage mixture and placed in a lightly oiled pan for baking. These are very simple to make and you'll have no problems with them as long as you don't over-stuff the peppers. The filling will expand as the peppers bake and if there is too much stuffing they will crack. They can be made hours ahead of serving, then brought to room temperature and baked for about 20 minutes before being served on individual plates. They have some substance, so they can be can eaten with fingers or served with a fork. The number of finished peppers will depend on their size, but you'll have 24 to 36 peppers to serve your family or guests. Here's the recipe.

Miniature Sausage Stuffed Peppers...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
36 miniature bell peppers
1 pound mild Italian or pork sausage
1/2 cup cooked rice
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried fennel seeds
1 large egg, beaten
Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil. Set aside.
2) Cut tops from miniature peppers. Remove seeds and ribs and brush peppers with olive oil. Set aside.
3) Combine sausage, rice, cheese, parsley, garlic, fennel seeds and egg. Mix well. Fry a small patty of the mixture in a frying pan to check for seasoning. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
4) Stuff each peppers with about 1 tablespoon sausage mixture. Mound slightly, but do not pack or overstuff them. Place in prepared pan.
5) Bake for about 20 minutes, or until peppers can be pierced with a fork and the sausage is cooked through. Yield: 24 to 36 peppers.








One Year Ago Today: Holiday Coffee Cake and Muffin Round-Up














Two Years Ago Today: Pink Peppermint Patties

62 comments :

That Girl said...

Love hearing about these food trends.

Ginny Hartzler said...

These are so cute, and look really delicious!

Diane said...

They look really yummy. I am not in line though obviously for the giveaway :( Diane

Deb in Hawaii said...

I love little peppers and that sausage stuffing looks positively mouth-watering. ;-)

Coleens Recipes said...

This looks SO good, what a great recipe.

amy beth marantino said...

i love peppers and look forward to trying this recipe

elspeth said...

Absolutely exquisite!

Lynn said...

They look great Mary, such a cute idea! Thanks for a chance at this fun give-away:@)

KimH said...

Yum... we make stuffed peppers too.. Italian peppers.. sometimes I slice them longways and grill them and sometimes I just stuff them whole like you did.. Its one of our favorite ways to use sausage..
We mix pecorino with the sausage and a whole lot of Italian dressing, stuff and let rest in the frig an hour or two.. (or overnight) and then grill or bake & broil.. Pure heaven!

Schnitzel and the Trout said...

Mary, I am thrilled that someone with your creative mind came up with this recipe. I have lovingly handled these peppers in the markets and ask myself what to do with them. They are too cute to simply chop up. I love this idea and I know they taste good. Susan

Big Dude said...

They look delicious Mary and I'm curious about the pepper variety as most small ones are chiles

~Lexibule~ said...

Je me délecte devant tant de bonnes choses:)xxx

TinaRBK said...

These do look like something I can do. I had seen a recipe for stuffed olives earlier and I thought-way to tiny to stuff! Sausage and peppers do make for a wonderful appetizer-thanks for sharing this tasty recipe. Great pictures.

Kim said...

I really love these little cute stuffed peppers! These are perfect just to nibble on while the turkey is finish cooking in the oven!

Unknown said...

I love the mini peppers.. and stuffing them is my favorite way to enjoy them! I would love to win the small plate giveaway too! Thanks for hosting!

Anonymous said...

these look so cute, tasty too! I also copied down the peppermint patty recipe too!

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

Those look amazing! I also like the looks of your pink peppermint patties from a couple of years ago - yum!

Thanks for coming by my blog! :-)

Deborah said...

Hi Mary! Your sausages look yummy! I'm not a great cook at all. Well, I take that back, I think I cook well, but nobody likes my cooking at home! LOL
Have a great day and thanks for visiting today!
xxoo
Deborah

Tanna said...

Love pork... love the fennel in this recipe... love peppers... all good!! blessings ~ tanna

From the Kitchen said...

Here I sit pondering what to add to an antipasti plate for a holiday open house and, voila, you've inspired me!
I saw a bag of those small peppers in various colors at the grocery store on Saturday. I believe your recipe could be the hit of the party!

Best,
Bonnie

StephenC said...

I'm not sure I have seen mini peppers like these in the markets I frequent. I will open my eyes and look for them. Thanks, Mary.

Katie Rose said...

I love sausage and peppers, but I never thought that they could be so cute! I think I'd probably have to grow my own mini peppers, because I have only ever seen them that small when they are hot.

Tania B said...

These appys look amazingly yummy. Plus I think they are easy enough that I could manage to make them for a get-together too. Thanks!

Mark Strong said...

I have avoided buying those small peppers because I could not come up with a good idea to use them. This is excellent, thanks

Priya Suresh said...

They looks so cute and super inviting..

Lyndas recipe box said...

I love stuffed peppers so these will be a real treat at our house. I usually serve finger foods and small foods on Christmas Eve. Your peppers will be perfect.
Have a lovely day Mary.

Sharla said...

I just found your blog today and have had fun looking around. I love the "one year ago" and "two years ago" bit! Your passion for food comes through in your posts!

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...

This is a work of art! Beautiful, colorful, and delicious, I'm sure!

Jessica | Cajunlicious said...

Mary those little stuffed peppers look like a perfect holiday treat!

Unknown said...

Thank you for visiting my blog and your kind words. I am now following yours, I like your recipies. Thanks, Dorothy

MarthaT said...

I love the bags of small bell peppers at Sam's - red, orange, yellow, green. They would be perfect for this Sausage Stuffed Peppers recipe. I may have to try them during the holiday.

MarthaT said...

Love peppermint patties and your Pink Peppermint Patties are so pretty. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

jo-lyn said...

these look yummy! and they sound pretty easy to make, too!! thnx for a great idea!

MarthaT said...

My daughter's in-laws will be with us for Christmas. Your Coffee Cake and Muffin Round Up couldn't have come to me at a better time.

Rita said...

What a lovely presentation; anyting with sausage makes my guy very happy. I always wondred abaout these cute peppers.
Rita

Jenn @ Youknow...that Blog? said...

Mmmm, those look wonderful! I'm going to try that, definitely!

It's been a while since I left a comment, Mary, but I've visited quite often in my mad rush to get around to my friends. Life just doesn't have enough pauses these days unfortunately!

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

Linda said...

Yummy! Looks good!

Lauren said...

These look so cute and delicious!

Susan..... said...

Seeing those peppers every time I shop, I never knew exactly what to use them for, cutting them would defeat the purpose. Perfect idea, I am tired of stuffed mushrooms and these would be great!

Miss Meat and Potatoes said...

These are precious...and yummy. I heart stuffed peppers and this is such a clever way to do them.

Claudia said...

I love small bites - maybe I think I'm not consuming as many calories (then I add up all the small bites). Love what you did with them and will follow suit. I have found that I am eating more pork lately. The autumn/winter? Or did we all just remember how good it is and be relieved to not have chicken 5 days a week?

Margaret Murphy Tripp said...

I am smitten with sausage stuffed things! Those look divine...a small bite that would be a big hit!

Sally said...

These look like a party must. I'm a pepper fan and will give them a try.

Sally said...

These look like a party must. I'm a pepper fan and will give them a try.

Karen (Back Road Journal) said...

I have been pausing in the produce aisle looking at those cute peppers and questioning what would i do with them if I purchased a bag. I can stop wondering now.

Brooke said...

I love miniature bell peppers! They roast so much quicker than large bell peppers, too. Roasted rep peppers go with EVERYTHING in my book! :)

FABBY'S LIVING said...

Oh wow, evry time I come to visit I get too hungry! I love the stuffed peppers, and also the cake...I will make asap for the hillidays as I'll have my family and after Christmas cookie exchange and I will host it. Thanks for sharing and for your lovely visit. Hugs, FABBY

Anonymous said...

My family looooves stuffed peppers, these will be perfect to bring to the holiday!

Joanne said...

Who knew that pork was the new "it" meat this year! What cute stuffed peppers!

What's next said...

that sounds wonderful and I love that they are small peppers... I may never find those here I'm afraid! Thanks for a chance in the giveaway!

Swathi said...

That stuffed peppers looks delicious.

Amalia said...

My mom makes something very similar to this, but the stuffed peppers are in a tomato soup. It's so delicious, this is making me crave some! I like how you used little peppers, they're the perfect individual size :)

Unknown said...

I make a similar recipe using chorizo, serving the peppers with a chipotle tomato sauce.

Leann said...

Wow! another good pork recipe!! Thanks for the chances sto win!! chefl@swbell.net

Pat R said...

I just bought a bag of mixed peppers and now I know what to do with them.
psrrn@aol.com

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

What a cute, tasty looking appetizer! Thanks for a chance at the give-away!

jb said...

ooo, these look so beautiful on the small plate. I love the recipes you are sharing and the give-away. Thanks!

Amy said...

This is such a wonderful recipe. I love the vibrant color of the mini bell peppers too. :) What a wonderful giveaway! I sure would love to win, oink oink! :@)

amy [at] utry [dot] it

teresa said...

I just made stuffed peppers for the guys over the weekend. I love the ideal of minis to feed them

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

I get those peppers at Costco - what a cute way to use them.

:)
ButterYum

Leah said...

These are adorable, and another good addition to my holiday party. Thanks for all the great recipes!

Crystal Cattle said...

Those look delicious!
www.crystalcattle.com

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