Italian Sausage Stuffed Banana Peppers
Stuffed Banana Peppers Recipe – Tangy banana peppers stuffed with savory Italian sausage and cream cheese, baked, and smothered with marinara and melted cheese. They are gluten-free, low-carb, and utterly delicious!
Why We Love This Stuffed Banana Peppers Recipe
Bold, slightly sweet banana peppers are most commonly served pickled in the USA. Often we eat them sliced on Italian-inspired dishes including sandwiches, pizza, and salads. Or enjoy them whole for a snack with some kick!
However, banana peppers are also an amazing chile to stuff and bake! They offer a unique tangy flavor with mild spicy heat. Occasionally, you might get the “surprise” hot pepper, but most of the time they can be enjoyed by all.
Here we’ve stuffed long banana peppers with tantalizing Italian sausage and cream cheese mixture, then braised them in marinara sauce until soft and silky.
The baked stuffed peppers are then smothered with more melty cheese, so the dish is ultra comforting and irresistible in flavor.
This classic Italian stuffed pepper recipe is low-carb, and gluten-free, and can also be prepared in a slow cooker! (No need to cook rice or add breadcrumbs.) It’s a terrific dinner that is fun, healthy(ish), and really makes your tastebuds happy.
Ingredients You Need
- Banana peppers – long and large, but uniform in size
- Italian sausage – or plain ground pork or chicken sausage or seasoned ground turkey
- Butter – or olive oil
- Onion – peeled and diced
- Garlic – minced
- Cream cheese – softened
- Parmesan cheese – grated
- Egg – for binding
- Italian seasoning – store-bought or homemade
- Crushed red pepper – optional
- Marinara sauce – store-bought tomato sauce or homemade
- Italian cheese blend – shredded, or shredded mozzarella cheese
- Salt and pepper – to taste
- Parsley – for garnish
How to Make Banana Peppers Stuffed with Sausage
First, preheat the oven to 350°F. Then set out a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and a large mixing bowl.
Prep the banana peppers by cutting off the stems. Use a small knife to slice down one side of each pepper from top to tip. Note: You do not want to cut the banana peppers in half, but just create a slit so they’re much easier to stuff. Remove the seeds from inside and discard.
Pro Tip: Wash your hands well with hot soapy water. Even though banana peppers are usually mild, they may leave oils on your hands that can burn your eyes.
Next, set a small skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, diced onions, and garlic. Salt and pepper liberally, then sauté to soften the aromatics for 3 to 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir to combine the Italian sausage, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper in a large bowl.
Once the onions and garlic have softened, move to the bowl, and mix the sausage mixture by hand until smooth and even.
Get the Complete (Printable) Gluten Free Sausage Stuffed Banana Peppers Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!
Next, pour the marinara into the baking dish.
One at a time, scoop up the sausage mixture with your hands and press it down into the banana peppers. Use your finger to press it all the way to the tip filling the banana pepper entirely. The peppers do not have to be closed along the seam, but they also shouldn’t be so stuffed that the pepper could crack.
Place the stuffed banana peppers in the baking dish. Alternate the directions in which they lay so they fit neatly in the dish, like in the photo below.
Cover the top of the baking dish tightly with foil. Then bake for 55 minutes undisturbed.
Remove the foil and check that the peppers are very soft. Sprinkle the shredded Italian cheese over the top of the banana peppers and place the dish back in the oven, uncovered, for five minutes to melt.
Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if you like, and serve the sausage-stuffed peppers warm.
How to Make Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
Want that same melt-in-your-mouth tender pepper texture, but as a “set and forget” recipe? Make this dish in the crockpot!
Prepare the sausage filling as directed above and stuff each banana pepper. Pour the marinara in the slow cooker crock, then layer the banana peppers in the slow cooker.
Cover and slow cook on low for 5-6 hours. Sprinkle with cheese and cover again for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Serving Suggestions
These Italian sausage stuffed peppers are a wonderful low carb meal all on their own! However, you might want to pair it with some side dishes to make a heartier meal. If you want to keep things low carb, try serving it with cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles!
You can also serve these with some al dente pasta, rice or quinoa.
Here are some of my personal favorites to pair with stuffed banana peppers:
Tips & Tricks
- Adjust the heat! You can opt for hot sausage, mild sausage, or simply ground pork here. If you like a bit of spice, definitely go for hot Italian sausage! You could also use ground chicken or turkey for a lighter option.
- If you don’t have Italian seasoning on hand, make your own with a combination of oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, rosemary and sage!
- The amount of banana peppers you use will depend on their size! If you find small banana peppers, you can make more!
Frequently Asked Questions
Try this recipe with mild pepperoncini or sweet Italian red peppers. Bell peppers can also be used, but they do not provide as much flavor.
Leftovers will keep well for up to 4 or 5 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. I recommend you reheat in the oven by baking at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or so, until warm.
Yes, this recipe freezes very well. I often make a double batch and freeze one (uncooked) pan for later use. You can also place the stuffed banana peppers in a freezer bag and leave off the marinara sauce to add later. If baking from a frozen state, bake for 80-90 minutes.
Looking for More Marvelous Low Carb Recipes?
- Italian Beef Skewers
- Keto Lasagna Roll-Ups (Made with Zucchini!)
- Low-Carb Pepperoni Pizza Bites
- Balsamic Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
- Supreme Pizza Dip
And Try Our Other Stuffed Pepper Recipes As Well!
- Paella Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Keto Taco Stuffed Peppers
- Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers
- Chicken Pot Pie Stuffed Peppers
- Broccoli Cheese Rice Stuffed Peppers
- Slow Cooker Pizza Stuffed Peppers
- Healthy Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers
- Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- Breakfast Stuffed Poblanos
- Loaded Stuffed Jalapenos
- 3-Ingredient Mini Stuffed Peppers
Italian Sausage Stuffed Banana Peppers
Ingredients
- 10 whole banana peppers look for the straight ones!
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 1 small onion peeled and diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 24 ounce marinara sauce store-bought or homemade
- 1 ½ cups shredded Italian cheese blend
- Salt and pepper
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and a large mixing bowl.
- Prep the banana peppers by cutting off the stems. Use a small knife to slice down one side of each pepper from top to tip. (You don’t want to cut the banana peppers in half, but just create a slit so they’re much easier to stuff.) Remove the seeds inside and discard. Make sure to wash your hands well with hot soapy water. Even though banana peppers are usually mild, they may leave oils on your hands that can burn your eyes.
- Next, set a small skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, diced onions, and garlic. Salt and pepper liberally, then sauté to soften for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the Italian sausage, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper in the mixing bowl.
- Once the onions and garlic have softened, move to the bowl, and mix the sausage mixture by hand until smooth and even.
- Pour the marinara into the baking dish.
- One at a time, scoop up the sausage mixture with your hands and press it down into the banana peppers. Use your finger to press it all the way to the tip filling the banana pepper entirely. The peppers do not have to be closed along the seam, but they also shouldn’t be so stuffed that the pepper could crack.
- Place the stuffed banana peppers in the baking dish. Alternate the directions in which they lay so they fit neatly in the dish. Cover the top of the baking dish tightly with foil. Bake for 55 minutes undisturbed.
- Remove the foil and check that the peppers are very soft. Sprinkle the shredded Italian cheese over the top of the banana peppers and place back in the oven for five minutes to melt.
- Serve warm, with marinara and a sprinkling of chopped parsley
Video
Notes
Prepare the sausage filling as directed above. Pour the marinara into the slow cooker. Then layer the banana peppers in the slow cooker. Cover and slow cook on low for 5-6 hours. Sprinkle with cheese and cover again for 10 minutes Leftovers will keep well for up to 4 or 5 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. I recommend that you reheat in the oven by baking at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or so, until warm.
Nutrition
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I used hot Italian sausage and left out the red peppers. had extra meat so made balls and placed in the sauce with the peppers. Delicious
My husband said this goes on the favorites list!