Italian Sausage and Quinoa Stuffed Pepper



Ingredients:

1 package  (19 ounces) JOHNSONVILLE® Italian Sausage Links, removed from casing* *Cut sausage link end to end, about three-quarters of the way through. Flip sausage link over, grasp casing and pull off.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped ¼”
3 plum tomatoes, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 cups  cooked Quinoa* (follow package directions, about ¾ cup dry) Quinoa can be substituted with rice or couscous.
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 to 7 medium bell peppers, tops removed, cored and seeded
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds  (optional)

Directions:
 Cook Quinoa according to package directions, (yield 1 ½ cups).
Sauté the decased sausage in a large skillet over medium heat.

Crumble the sausage as it cooks until its nicely browned and no longer pink, breaking up any of the large pieces, about 7-10 minutes. Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate and set aside.
In the same skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and red bell pepper for 5 minutes or until softened. 
Add tomatoes and mushrooms, sauté for another 5 minutes.
Remove from heat then add in parsley, cooked Quinoa, paprika, sausage and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine, taste and adjust seasonings.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Stuff bell peppers with sausage mixture, dividing equally and gently packing the mixture down. Arrange upright in prepared baking dish.

Cover and bake in preheated oven for about 1 hour or until peppers are tender.

If desired, serve topped with a sprinkling of toasted almonds.

Recipe shared from: http://www.johnsonville.com/recipe/italian-sausage-and-quinoa-stuffed-peppers.html