School is finally in session! Truthfully I’m looking forward to getting into a gym routine, fitting in a few extra hours of work per week, and finding time to get dinner prepped earlier in the day.
The recipe I’m sharing today – Italian Sausage and Pepper Ring Mini Meatloaves – is one that’s ideal for assembling ahead of time then popping into the oven shortly before calling the crew to dinner.
Watch How to Make Them!
You know I LOVE me some mini meatloaves. Past renditions include Mini BBQ Cheddar Meatloaves, Mini Muffuletta Meatloaves, Mini Philly Cheesesteak Meatloaves, Mini Mediterranean Turkey Meatloaves, and Mini Salsa Turkey Meatloaves. They’re easy to assemble, quick to bake, and perfectly portion controlled – and 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. Can you say upgrade!
Ground beef and Italian sausage are mixed with herbs and spices, garlic, and onions then pressed into hollowed out bell peppers that have been sliced into rings to create mini meatloaf shells (hence the name “pepper ring” mini meatloaves!) then baked under a blanket of cheese. These might be my favorite mini meatloaves to date – they are so good and fun! Plus you can assemble the dish up to a day ahead of time then transfer right from the fridge to a hot oven.
Best of all, my entire family inhales this recipe – 10 month old and all. Yes, peppers too! (Since Lincoln is allergic to dairy I bake his pepper ring mini meatloaf sans cheese in a separate dish.) Like I said, the mini meatloaves taste just like my more traditional Sausage and Peppers but the texture is almost meatball-like. The combination of sausage, peppers, marinara sauce, and cheese in any form though? Total home run.
Couple of Notes
- Use the leanest ground beef you can find as the meat will shrink inside the pepper rings. I use 93/7 or 90/10.
- Spring for a really good jar of 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 and Bove’s both have great, no sugar added marinara sauces.
Ready to eat?!
How to Make This Recipe
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.
Next, 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.
Next, make the meatloaf filling. To a large bowl add lean ground beef, ground sweet Italian sausage, gluten free bread with the crusts removed then minced, 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.
NOTE:Â be sure to use lean ground beef (I wouldn’t go any fattier than 90/10) as the meat mixture will shrink during baking.
Roll each portion into a ball then press 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
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Italian Sausage and Pepper Ring Mini Meatloaves
Description
Italian Sausage and Pepper Ring Mini Meatloaves have all the taste of sausage and peppers, in a fun mini meatloaf presentation. My entire family loves this easy, gluten-free dinner recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized bell peppers (any color)
- 1/2lb lean ground beef (93/7 recommended)
- 1/2lb gluten-free ground sweet Italian sausage (I like Johnsonville)
- 2 slices gluten-free bread, crusts removed then minced (or 1 slice regular bread)
- 1 egg
- 1 small shallot or 1/2 onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper
- pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 4oz 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 9x13" 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.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Beth 08.28.2019
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!
Cheryl 04.12.2019
Can you use ground turkey meat ? We don’t eat beef.
Susan 01.30.2019
Loved these! My pickiest child loved them too. Definitely finding its way into our rotation.
Kristin 02.01.2019
So glad to hear it, Susan! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Pakistani Food Recipes 11.07.2017
I tried this recipe today and it turned out amazing. My family loves the taste.
teresa 09.27.2017
what kind of gluten free bread to you prefer when using as breadcrumbs or eating in general?
Kristin 10.02.2017
I love Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White for fresh breadcrumbs!
Kristin 09.17.2017
What’s the best way to freeze these? Cooked or uncooked?
Kristin 09.18.2017
I would freeze them uncooked.
Susie 09.12.2017
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?
Kristin 10.02.2017
Totally!
Diane 09.11.2017
This was great! My husband told me five times how much he loved it!
Kristin 10.02.2017
Wohoo! I’d call that a success! ;) Thanks for the feedback, Diane!
Beth 09.11.2017
If I wanted to substitute bread crumbs for the piece of bread, how much do you think I should use?
Kristin 09.13.2017
I’d go with 1/2 cup!
Trisha 09.06.2017
We have zero plans this weekend, but these are officially on the agenda.
Also, I’m honestly so happy that our boys have summer birthdays so that I can keep them home a year longer. ;)
Michelle 09.04.2017
The recipe looks perfect for dinner. I am so glad you are thinking about waiting a year for your little boy to go to kindergarten. In my state it is 5 by July but I have a sister who was a kindergarten teacher and she would say every year that children born in the spring even need to be held back a year. The successful children were almost always the ones who parents were smart enough to hold them back a year. Good luck to you on your choice. You will not regret it.
Kristin 09.05.2017
Thanks for your note, Michelle. I hear the same thing too – Kindergarten is the new 1st grade, and knowing my son, he’d absolutely benefit from a year of “Jr K”. Of course to each their own – definitely just depends on the child!
melissa 09.04.2017
I made this last night and changed it up just a little. I doubled the ingredients and used 4 bell peppers cut in half. I added a big portabella mushroom on top. My make shift family said it was better than restaurant food, LOL. I would recommend using lots more marinara sauce as it is was really good smothered in a jar of sauce. Thank you for posting this awesome idea!
Kristin 09.05.2017
Sounds awesome, Melissa! Love the idea of making these kind of “stuffed pepper”-esque!
Karen 09.03.2017
There hasn’t been a recipe Of yours that I’ve tried and we didn’t like. This one was superb. I NEVER thought to combine Hamburg with Italian sausage. My family loved this. I might try adding rice next time.
Kristin 09.05.2017
I’m thrilled to hear it, Karen!! Thanks so much for leaving a star rating, too! :)
Donna 09.01.2017
1- Those look awesome…can’t wait to make these, as I love ALL your mini meatloaf recipes!
And 2-I feel ya girl! My oldest is starting the big K and it’s like trying to hold sand in your hand….and the more ya try to hold on, the quicker the sand falls. That’s the only way I can describe parenting young kids;) S*&t is CRAZYYYYY!;)
Kristin 09.05.2017
YES – that is the perfect way to describe it. So heartbreaking. UGHHHHHH.
Christina 09.01.2017
My husband is going to freak when I show him this recipe. He loves meatloaf and I never remember to make it. But this recipe is like, meatloaf stuffed peppers, and I love stuffed peppers! Can’t wait to make this recipe!
Kristin 09.05.2017
Sounds like a win-win for you both, Christina! Hope you guys enjoy!
Val - Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids 09.01.2017
Yummy! I love this idea and I have several peppers from the garden I need to eat.
Kristin 09.05.2017
Perfect! Hope you love it, Val. :)
Emily 09.01.2017
This looks delicious! What can be substituted for the pork? We dont each pork.
Kristin 09.05.2017
Hi Emily! I think I’ve seen Italian-style turkey sausage at the grocery store before – that might be a good option instead of traditional Italian pork sausage.
Stephanie 09.01.2017
What a neat idea! Definitely trying this. I am excited to get back into using the oven again now that the weather will be cooling off!
Kristin 09.05.2017
Same – can’t wait to make something as simple and delicious as a roast chicken!
Liz Turner 09.01.2017
My family loved this recipe!!! Very zesty and full of flavor
Kristin 09.05.2017
So glad, Liz – thanks for your feedback!
Kristi 09.01.2017
Yum! Can’t wait to try this. Love the make-ahead aspect :)
Kristin 09.05.2017
Yes! It’s seriously so handy. Hope you love it, Kristi!