Get ready to impress your family and friends with a different take on stuffed peppers. Couscous Stuffed Peppers are vibrant, stuffed with fluffy couscous and a delightful medley of savory ingredients.
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Why you will love this recipe:
- This is a great meal that is easily reheated for multiple days.
- It is a great freezer meal and an easy meal to bring to someone in need.
- It's a healthier option for comfort food.
- High in protein from the couscous and Italian sausage.
Jump to:
Ingredients needed to make stuffed peppers with cous cous:
- Italian Sausage- Most Italian sausages are made with pork, but I have found chicken that I used for this recipe.
- Israeli couscous- These are tiny pasta balls that are high in protein and fiber and a great fast replacement for rice.
- Bell pepper- It is best to use Red bell peppers as they are the most nutritious.
- Onion
- Carrots
- Tomato sauce
- Chicken Broth- Make our instant pot broth and freeze or refrigerate it for other future recipes.
- Feta cheese
- Salt and Pepper
Sauce for Stuffed peppers:
- Onion
- Carrots
- tomato sauce
- chicken broth
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Step 2: Toast couscous: On medium heat in a skillet toast the couscous until light golden. Careful not to burn! This will take about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Blanch Bell peppers: In a large pot add water deep enough to cover half of a bell pepper. Cut your bell peppers in half and then core out the seeds and all the extra flesh inside. Put about 3-4 peppers into your boiling pot of water and make sure they are submerged. Let boil for about 5-7 minutes, repeat with all bell pepper half.
Step 4: Brown meat and Caramelize vegetables: Dice 1 onion, shred 2 carrots, and dice ½ a bell pepper. In a large skillet drizzle some oil on the bottom and heat to medium heat. Start by browning the 1 lb of Italian sausage until browned (it doesn't need to be fully cooked through). Set aside and in the same pot start sautéing vegetables. Start with diced onions, then add in carrots and bell pepper. Once caramelized you can season with salt and pepper to taste keep in mind that the Italian sausage had seasonings already in it.
Step 5: Make the filling: Into the same large pot add in the browned meat and toasted couscous. Then make a well in the center and add ½ cup of tomato sauce wait till it comes to a simmer. Mix the tomato sauce together with the rest of the ingredients and then pour in the 2 cups of broth. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until the water has cooked off and the pasta in al dente.
Step 6: Fill the peppers: Once the filling is ready do a taste test and adjust the seasoning to your preference. Be careful to not over salt ahead of time because the Italian sausage has a lot of flavor as well as the tomato sauce and broth. Let the filling slightly cool for about 5-10 minutes so it will be easier to fill your bell peppers without it being piping hot. Fill each pepper and as you fill press in the filling with the back of your spoon and fill with a slight mound on top.
Step 7: Make the sauce and Bake the couscous stuffed peppers: In an oven-safe casserole dish arrange your peppers to fit snugly. This will help the filling not pour out of the bell pepper shells. To make the sauce I use the same pan, and wipe out any extra filling remaining. Then dice up another onion, 2 carrots, and the other half of the bell pepper. Again sautée all the vegetables starting with the onions and later add ½ cup of tomato sauce and 2 cups of broth. Let the sauce come to a simmer then spoon sauce first over each stuffed pepper and then pour the remaining sauce into the bottom, through the cracks. Sprinkle the top with ¼ cup of feta cheese crumbles. Then cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 40-45 minutes.
Expert tips:
- Blanch Bell peppers, do not skip this step. If you don't boil the bell peppers ahead of time then your bell peppers will end up being a little more tuff and crunchy. You also don't want to continue to bake longer because the filling will become overcooked.
- Toasting your couscous will change the flavor by adding depth and sophistication, much like browning meat brings out its natural acidity.
- Choosing the perfect bell peppers. I recommend getting the peppers that have 4 chambers and that are round and fat.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations:
- Italian sausage- Feel free to substitute with pretty much any other ground meat. Remember to season the meat as the Italian sausage already comes preseasoned and so your recipe won't taste bland season your meat to your preference.
- Couscous- Can be substituted with rice or orzo pasta.
Stove top method: I have also made these stuffed peppers without rice in a Dutch oven on the stovetop. Instead of cutting the bell peppers in half core out the stem and clean out the inside making a cup out of the bell pepper then continue to fill and pour the sauce over as described above. Then bring the pot to a simmer and lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
Mini peppers: If you would like to make this for a large party it's a great idea to make this recipe with mini peppers. Follow the same steps but core out the top of the pepper, the stem and seeds inside, and stuff with filling. It won't work well to cut the pepper in half as they are too small and the filling will just pour out when cooking. Also when arranging in a casserole dish use a deep one and make sure to fit them snugly so they are standing up.
Equipment Recommendations:
Equipment I would recommend that will make it easier and more effective to make this recipe:
- Oven-safe Casserole dish- This casserole dish comes with a lid which makes it simpler and you will not need to use foil to cover when baking.
- Large pan with lid - A large pot like this will make it easy to make this a one pot meal.
How to Storage Couscous Stuffed Peppers:
Refrigerator: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can either use plastic wrap over your baking dish or transfer to an airtight container.
Freezer: This recipe is a good freezer meal recipe. There are a few ways you can freeze you can make extra filling and once the filling has cooled transfer to a gallon freezer bag and freeze just the filling. Also, you can assemble everything but the sauce place it in a freezer bag, and lay it flat to freeze.
Reheat: To reheat place in a skillet and spoon some of the sauce over the pepper again to add more moisture into the pepper when reheating.
What to eat with stuffed peppers:
A salad is a great stuffed peppers side dish paring:
- Pickled Cabbage salad: The flavor of the fermented cabbage pairs really well with couscous stuffed bell peppers.
- A fresh Garden salad is also a great option such as our Crunchy Garden Salad it has a mix of fresh crunchy vegetables that mix together really well.
FAQ
No, you don't have to but I strongly recommend this. I prefer for my peppers to be soft and fully cooked. If you prefer firm and crisp peppers feel free to omit this step.
I prefer red they are the most nutritious because they have been on the vine the longest. But fell free to use a variety for a fun pop of color. Although I would not recommend green bell peppers for this recipe.
When you don't blanch your bell peppers before stuffing it is normal for them to release their natural water. This is another reason why I recommend blanching your bell peppers beforehand.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
COUSCOUS STUFFED PEPPERS
Equipment
- 1 oven safe casserole dish
- 1 large skillet with lid
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage I used chicken
- 1 cup Israeli couscous
- 4-5 red bell peppers
- 1 large onion
- 2 carrots
- ½ red bell pepper
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups Chicken broth
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbles
- salt and pepper
- oil for frying
Sauce for stuffed peppers:
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- ½ red bell pepper
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Toast couscous: On medium heat in a skillet toast the couscous until light golden. Careful not to burn! This will take about 5 minutes.
- Blanch Bell peppers: In a large pot add water deep enough to cover half of a bell pepper. Cut your bell peppers in half and then core out the seeds and all the extra flesh inside. Put about 3-4 peppers into your boiling pot of water and make sure they are submerged. Let boil for about 5-7 minutes, repeat with all bell pepper half.
- Brown meat and caramelized vegetables: Dice 1 onion, shred 2 carrots and dice ½ a bell pepper. In a large skillet drizzle some oil on the bottom and heat to medium heat. Start by browning the 1 lb of Italian sausage until browned (it doesn't need to be fully cooked through). Set aside and in the same pot start sautéing vegetables. Start with diced onions, then add in carrots and bell pepper. Once caramelized you can season with salt and pepper to taste keep in mind that the Italian sausage had seasonings already in it.
- Make the filling: Into the same large pot add in the browned meat and toasted couscous. Then make a well in the center and add ½ cup of tomato sauce wait till it comes to a simmer. Mix the tomato sauce together with the rest of the ingredients and then pour in the 2 cups of broth. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until the water has cooked off and the pasta in al dente.
- Fill the peppers: Once the filling is ready do a taste test and adjust the seasoning to your preference. Be careful to not over salt ahead of time because the Italian sausage has a lot of flavor as well as the tomato sauce and broth. Let the filling slightly cool for about 5-10 minutes so it will be easier to fill your bell peppers without it being piping hot. Fill each pepper and as you fill press in the filling with the back of your spoon and fill with a slight mound on top.
- Make the sauce and Bake the couscous stuffed peppers: In an oven-safe casserole dish arrange your peppers to fit snugly. This will help the filling not pour out of the bell pepper shells.
- To make the sauce I use the same pan, and wipe out any extra filling remaining. Then dice up another onion, 2 carrots, and the other half of the bell pepper. Again sautée all the vegetables starting with the onions and later add ½ cup of tomato sauce and 2 cups of broth. Let the sauce come to a simmer then spoon sauce first over each stuffed pepper and then pour the remaining sauce into the bottom, through the cracks.
- Sprinkle the top with ¼ cup of feta cheese crumbles. Then cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 40-45 minutes.
Notes
Recipe Tips:
- Blanch Bell peppers, do not skip this step. If you don't boil the bell peppers ahead of time then your bell peppers will end up being a little more tuff and crunchy. You also don't want to continue to bake longer because the filling will become overcooked.
- Toasting your couscous will change the flavor by adding depth and sophistication, much like browning meat brings out its natural acidity.
- Choosing the perfect bell peppers. I recommend getting the peppers that have 4 chambers and that are round and fat.
Rosemary says
Yum, this looks delicious. We eat quite a bit of stuffed peppers but never with couscous. Thanks for the inspiration and easy step-by-step directions.
JULIE'S APRON says
Thank you!
Carrie Robinson says
I love the idea of stuffing peppers with couscous instead of rice! 🙂 These look delicious.
JULIE'S APRON says
I know I wanted to switch it up with a healthier alternative. Couscous worked great for this!
L Smith says
These look incredible. The feta and sausage are taking these peppers next level! Can’t wait to make these.
JULIE'S APRON says
So glad to hear!
Kathleen says
I am loving these Italian inspired stuffed peppers with couscous. They look and sound incredible.
JULIE'S APRON says
Thank you!
Jomelyn says
I love pork sausage! This so perfect because I love the combo of sausage with bell peppers! So good! Thank you.
JULIE'S APRON says
Right! I thought the same!
Shashi at Savory Spin says
This is such a filling and tasty dish! The feta adds a nice touch to this - definitely making this again!
JULIE'S APRON says
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Bobby says
I absolutely love this recipe. Sausage and peppers always make for a great combo but to have the sausage IN the pepper with couscous was so good. Thank you!
JULIE'S APRON says
Thank you!
Deepti Singhal says
These Stuffed Peppers look so addictive. I am a vegetarian. Can you suggest what should I swap Italian Sausage with? Thanks so much.
JULIE'S APRON says
In the recipe substitutions section, I mention any ground meat such as beef, chicken, or turkey will work as a great substitution.
Tressa says
We make stuffed bell peppers pretty often in our home, but I love the flavor combination you suggested for this bell peppers with couscous! It was delicious.
JULIE'S APRON says
I'm so happy it worked out for you!
Vit says
👍😋