Sausage Stuffed Peppers

One of my favorite easy dinners is sausage and pepper sandwiches.  Today I give you a fresh new take on this old family recipe.

Omitting big Italian rolls filled with the sausage and peppers results in a much lighter meal.  Serve with a green vegetable or salad to keep the light theme going.  After all, it is the new year, and we could all benefit from increasing our vegetable intake.

Sausage Stuffed Peppers

4 medium red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, tops sliced off and reserved, seeds and veins removed
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 (3-ounce) links Italian sausage, cut lengthwise and sliced in 1/4-inch slices
          (I used Trader Joe's vegetarian style)
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 ounces sliced lite Provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F.  On stove, bring large pot of water to rolling boil.  Add peppers and boil two minutes; drain and reserve.  Measure olive oil into large nonstick skillet and bring to medium heat.  Toss out stems of peppers and chop remaining tops.  Add to skillet along with onion.  Cook and stir three minutes until vegetables begin to soften.

Add sausage to skillet, raise heat to medium-high, and cook about eight minutes, until sausage begins to brown. Stir in tomato sauce; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes until thick.  Take skillet off heat and stir in breadcrumbs and salt.

Coat baking pan in which to snugly fit whole peppers with nonstick spray.  Fill each pepper with one-fourth sausage filling.  Bake 25 minutes, then remove from oven and lay cheese slices evenly on top.  Place back in oven for five more minutes to melt cheese.  Makes four servings, four points plus for Weight Watchers or 202 calories each.