The stuffing mixture alone makes cheesy sausage stuffed peppers a satisfying weeknight casserole. Baked in vibrant bell peppers they become a party!

The FTC would like you to know: Bob's Red Mill has generously provided all the grain featured in the Going with the Grain series. Thank you Bob's Red Mill! Scroll past the recipe to find out how to snag a bag of farro to make these stuffed peppers!

The first half (plus) of my year of Going with the Grain has already taught me a so much. Before beginning this challenge I never would have thought to make a meatloaf with millet or a salad with sorghum. For those just joining in allow me to get you caught up. This all started in January when I read an article in Bon Appetit called, "A Guide to Identifying Grains, from Amaranth to Sorghum." Of the 11 grains they listed I had tried only a few and so I decided to declare 2014 the year of the grain. Bob's Red Mill enthusiastically agreed to support my Going with the Grain exploration and since then I have been sharing new recipes and hooking lucky readers up with bags of Bob's Red Mill grains.

If you missed any part of the series so far I encourage you to check out the past recipes and articles.

Now I would like you to meet Farro!

Farro is an ancient grain from the Mediterranean. When cooked it has a pleasant chewy texture and a mild nutty flavor. If you travel to Italy you might find farro on the menu in some restaurants. Its firmer texture makes it a great substitute for rice in soups and stews. It also lends wonderful texture to salads. I think you are really going to enjoy the versatility of this mighty grain.

Nutritionally speaking there is a lot crammed into each little bite. A quarter cup of uncooked farro contains: 200 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 cholesterol, 37 grams of carbohydrates, 0 sodium, 7 grams of fiber, and 7 grams of protein. If you share my love of nutritional number crunching you probably just got a little giddy. If you are not sure what all of those values mean, bottom line, a little of this will fill you up and stave off hunger for quite a while.

I recommend starting your relationship with farro by simply simmering some in a pan of vegetable or chicken stock. While they cook the grains will absorb the flavorful cooking liquid. Once it is plump and tender, you can serve the farro hot, as a side dish, or use it as a base for these stuffed peppers. Either way, I think you will be delighted.

Don't forget to read to the end for the giveaway!

Cheesy Sausage Stuffed Peppers with Farro

Rose McAvoy

The stuffing mixture alone makes an earthy and satisfying weeknight casserole but when baked in vibrant bell peppers it becomes a festive centerpiece. Everyone will be delighted to dig in.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 3674 kcal

Ingredients

2 cups no or low sodium chicken stock
1 cup water
1 cup farro
1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon if using low sodium stock
1 pound chicken italian sausage link or bulk
½ red onion diced (approximately 1 cup)
5 ounce crimini baby bella mushrooms, diced (approximately 2 cups)
10 ounce sunburst cherry, or grape tomatoes, halved (approximately 2 cups)
¾ teaspoons pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup fontina cheese divided
8 Large orange or red bell peppers

Instructions

Put the stock, water, farro, and salt in to a 2 - 3 quart sauce pan. Cover and bring the liquid to a boil then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. When the farro is plump and easy to chew. Drain any excess liquid from the pan and place the cooked farro into a large bowl.
While the farro simmers: Brown the sausage, remove casings if using link sausage. Cook in a skillet over medium high heat and break the sausage into small crumbles while it cooks, about 8 minutes. Transfer the cooked sausage crumbles to a paper towel lined plate. Drain any liquid fat from the pan but do not wipe clean.
Replace the skillet on the heat and add the onion and mushrooms. Stir frequently until the onion has softened and the mushrooms have browned, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, onion, and mushrooms to the large bowl with the farro and stir to combine.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a large pot of water on the stove, cover, and bring to a boil.
Prepare the bell peppers: Slice across the very top of each pepper to remove the stem area. Use a small knife to trim away the core, seeds, and white ribs. Cook the cleaned peppers in the boiling water for two minutes then remove, drain, and let dry.
Return to the stuffing mixture and stir in the salt, pepper, and 1 cup of cheese. Fold in the tomatoes. Taste the stuffing and add a few more pinches of salt if it needs a bit more pep.
Arrange the softened peppers, cut end up, in a large baking dish. Fill each pepper with 1 cup of stuffing. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over the stuffed peppers.
Cover the dish with foil and bake in the hot oven for 15 minutes then remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes

A serving is 1 large bell pepper and 1 cup of stuffing.
If making less than 8 stuffed peppers bake the remaining stuffing in a small casserole dish or freeze to use for another meal.

Going with the Grain Farro Giveaway from Bob's Red Mill!!

Thank you, as always, to the generous folks at Bob's Red Mill for sponsoring the Going with the Grain giveaways. You can read more about the Going with the Grain project here. Keep reading to find out how to win your very own bags of sorghum and lentils (one of each) to make this salad and many other delicious recipes. Check back throughout the year to read about the goodness of grains and enter more Going with the Grain giveaways!

Contest Details:

The contest begins Tuesday September 3rd and ends 10 pm (PT) on Sunday September 7th.

The rules are simple:

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Fine Print:

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A winning entry will be selected at random.
The winner will need to provide a mailing address within the U.S. where the prize can be shipped.
The winner will be contacted via email following the contest close. They will have three days to respond with their U.S. mailing address. If the winner does not respond to the initial email within three days a second winner will be selected at random from the original entries.

Best of luck to all! AND Win or lose you must try this recipe!