Going to make these for hubby this weekend :)
Joel’s Italian Stuffed Jalapenos
15 jalapenos cut in half, seeded and deveined
1 T. canola oil
1 lb. mild Italian sausage
1/4 c. minced red onion
1/4 c. minced red bell pepper
3 T. minced fresh garlic
2 c. cream cheese
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
minced chives for garnish
Preheat oven to 350°.
Place halved jalapenos on a pan wrapped in aluminum foil, for easy clean up. Or place jalapenos directly on an oven safe serving dish, to serve directly from. Roast for 10 minutes, or until nicely softened. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Heat the oil in a medium saute pan. Add the sausage and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the onion, pepper, and garlic and cook to soften for about 5 minutes. Remove and place in a large bowl. Cool to room temperature, then add cream cheese and Parmesan. Mix ingredients thoroughly and season with salt and pepper, as needed.
Place approximately 1 heaping tablespoon of mixture into each jalapeno half, and top with a bit of mozzarella cheese.
Turn broiler on medium-high.
Place the stuffed peppers back in the oven and broil until the mozzarella cheese melts and is nicely browned. This should take 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with a bit more shredded Parmesan, and then the chives. Serve warm.
*Note: This does take some time to assemble, but it’s easy to prepare most of it earlier in the day. Have your jalapenos ready by slicing, deveining and seeding them, and then place them in the refrigerator. Prepare the stuffing mixture of sausage, onion, pepper, garlic, cream cheese, and Parmesan (salt & pepper, to taste), and place in a bowl in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to bake the jalapenos, most of the work has already been done!
