Italian Sausage and Pepper Ring Mini Meatloaves have all the taste of slow cooked sausage and peppers, in a fun and quick-cooking mini meatloaf.
“I had an abundance of red bell peppers in my garden this year so I used them to make this recipe for dinner last night and it was absolutely delicious! Leftovers for lunch today were also excellent!”
When life gets busy, and putting a home-cooked meal on the table feels next to impossible, I turn to recipes like Italian Sausage and Pepper Ring Mini Meatloaves which are not only family-friendly, but make-ahead too.
This is a fantastic meal to assemble several days ahead of time then pop into the oven before calling the crew to dinner.
Easy-peasy, and plates will be licked clean – I promise!
Watch How to Make Them
Family Friendly Mini Meatloaves
If you need to know one thing about me, it’s that I LOVE mini meatloaves. Not only are they prep-ahead but my family loves them, plus they come with built-in portion control.
My Italian Sausage and Pepper Ring Mini Meatloaves are no different. Plus they taste like slow-cooked sausage and peppers but bake in just 30 minutes.
What’s Inside
Ground beef and Italian sausage are mixed with fridge and pantry staples including dried herbs and spices, garlic, and onion then pressed into thickly-sliced bell pepper rings which create mini meatloaf shells (hence the name “pepper ring” mini meatloaves!)
The mini meatloaves are blanketed with shredded cheese then baked until sizzling and bubbly. This dish is a home run from start to finish.
Tips for Success
- Prep-ahead: make the meatloaf filling then press it into the pepper rings and store right in the baking dish up to 3 days ahead of time. Cover the tops with sauce just before baking.
- Choose lean: use the leanest ground beef you can find, as high-fat meat will shrink inside the pepper rings. I use 93/7 or 90/10 ground beef.
- High quality sauce: spring for a jar of high quality marinara sauce, or use homemade if you can. This is what makes sausage and peppers taste like sausage and peppers. Locals, I love Gino’s, otherwise Mezzetta, Bove’s, and Roa’s are great options.
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How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Prep the bell peppers.
Start by slicing the tops and bottoms off 2 medium-sized bell peppers then run a knife along the insides to remove the seeds. You can use whatever color of peppers you like – I usually use 1 red and 1 green.
Slice the hollowed out bell peppers into 1″ thick rings then place them in the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish with 1 cup marinara sauce spread in the bottom. You should be able to get 3-4 rings per pepper, though you’ll only need 6 rings total.
Step 2: Make the meatloaf filling.
To a large mixing bowl add lean ground beef, ground sweet Italian sausage, minced gluten free bread, egg, minced shallot, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and a pinch red pepper flakes if you want a little zip.
Use your hands to mix until just combined then score the mixture into thirds, and each third in half to create 6 portions.
Recipe Tip
Be sure to use lean ground beef so the meat mixture doesn’t shrink too much during baking.
Step 3: Stuff the pepper rings then bake.
Roll each meatloaf portion into a ball then press it into a pepper ring and top with 1 heaping Tablespoon marinara sauce. Cover the dish with foil then bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees.
Finally, top each mini meatloaf with a heap of shredded Italian cheese blend then bake uncovered for 5-7 more minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
That’s all she wrote! Scoop the mini meatloaves onto plates then drizzle with the delectable sauce from the bottom of the pan – it ridiculously delicious. I hope you love this fun and yummy dish – enjoy!
More Mini Meatloaves You’ll Love
- Mini Taco Meatloaf
- Stuffed Italian Meatball Mini Meatloaves
- Mini BBQ Cheddar Meatloaves
- Mini Muffuletta Meatloaves
- Mini Philly Cheesesteak Meatloaves
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized bell peppers, any color
- 1/2 lb lean ground beef, 93/7 recommended
- 1/2 lb gluten free ground sweet Italian sausage, Johnsonville recommended
- 2 slices gluten free bread, crusts removed then minced
- 1 egg
- 1 small shallot or 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper
- pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- 4 oz finely shredded Italian cheese blend
- 2 cups marinara sauce, divided
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread 1 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish then set aside. Slice the tops and bottoms off bell peppers then run a knife along the insides to core. Slice hallow peppers into 1″ rings – you should get 3 rings per pepper for 6 rings total – then place in the bottom of the baking dish and set aside.
- To a large bowl add ground beef, Italian sausage, bread, egg, shallot or onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Use your hands to mix until just combined then divide the mixture into thirds, and each third in half. Roll each portion into a ball then press into a pepper ring.
- Spread a heaping Tablespoon marinara sauce on top of each mini meatloaf then cover baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove baking dish from oven then top each mini meatloaf with shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for 5-7 more minutes, or until cheese is golden brown, then serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I made the Italian Sausage and Pepper Ring Mini Meatloaves for dinner tonight. Loved the combination of the peppers and meatloaf. Served with mash potatoes.
Thanks for another great recipe.
I’m so glad you loved these, Billie! Thanks so much for your feedback!
Italian sausage and pepper ring meatloaf
I don’t eat GF bread any longer. What could I use in place of bread? Thanks!
Hi Brenda! You could try a grain free food crumb type product, or maybe ground oats?
You could use cheese as a sub for bread crumbs
These are superb! I only had hot Italian sausage, no cheese and cheap Hunt’s spaghetti sauce! Everyone said OMG share the recipe and I did. Thanks for another great meal!
Thrilled to hear it Jeanette!!
I had an abundance of red bell peppers in my garden this year so I used them to make this recipe for dinner last night and it was absolutely delicious! Leftovers for lunch today were also excellent!
This is in my oven right now and smells Ah-Maz-Ing!! I doubled the recipe, formed it all into meatballs, and froze half for a freezer meal down the road…I’m already excited for the next time it pops up in the rotation!
Can you use ground turkey meat ? We don’t eat beef.
Loved these! My pickiest child loved them too. Definitely finding its way into our rotation.
So glad to hear it, Susan! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
I tried this recipe today and it turned out amazing. My family loves the taste.
what kind of gluten free bread to you prefer when using as breadcrumbs or eating in general?
I love Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White for fresh breadcrumbs!
What’s the best way to freeze these? Cooked or uncooked?
I would freeze them uncooked.
We have a girl with a June birthday. We were not “smart” enough to hold her back. Everyone told us since she was a girl she was fine and ready. She is fine but we wish we would have held her back. Not because she isn’t doing great. It is that most of the kids in her class are a whole year older. It isn’t level playing field.
Can you just use breadcrumbs that are store bought?
Totally!