Sausage Stuffed Sweet Mini Peppers – A Winning Low Carb Appetizer

Why does it seem like healthy eating and New Year’s resolutions always fall by the wayside a few weeks after the new year?

I have a theory. I think Super Bowl Sunday is scheduled at the precise time and with the total intent of making people fail on their diets. I mean, all of the delicious carbs are in full force at a Super Bowl party. And it’s cold outside. And it’s been weeks.

If you’re invited to a Super Bowl party, there’s a good chance you’ll need to bring an appetizer to share. And if you’re trying to be good, maybe you don’t want to only nosh on the raw veggie tray. Well, I have a great finger food appetizer that is delicious. And pretty. And that will keep you on the right side of your low carb or keto diet.

I discovered these poppers a few years ago when we were going to a potluck game night at a friend’s house. My husband was watching his carbs so I wanted to make sure he had a good choice and didn’t wreck his diet. He loves sausage, cheese, and bell peppers so I knew he would really like them. But boy, they were a hit with everyone!

Sausage Stuffed Sweet Peppers Ingredients.

You’ll need:

• 16 oz. Bag of Sweet Mini Peppers
• 16 oz. Breakfast Pork Sausage (mild or hot), or hot Italian sausage
• 8 oz. Block of Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1/4 Cup Shredded Cheese of Your Choice (Cheddar Cheese, Colby Jack Cheese, or a Mixed Cheese Blend), plus extra for topping
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Dry Parsley
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

Instructions for making easy sausage and cheese stuffed mini sweet peppers.

Prepare the Peppers.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, leaving the stems on. Stand them on the narrow side to cut them so that the halves are as large as possible and will hold more filling. 2. Remove the seeds and membranes with your fingers while rinsing the peppers.

3. Pour a tablespoon of olive oil onto a baking sheet and toss the pepper halves in the oil.

4. Turn all of the peppers cut side up and bake them for 6-8 minutes at 400 degrees to soften.

Prepare the Filling.

1.Brown the ground sausage in a large skillet on medium-high heat and drain.

I love this meat chopper tool for breaking up meat easily while I brown it. And this strainer for draining meat and pasta.

2. In a large bowl, mix the room temperature cream cheese (it needs to be very soft), shredded cheese, and spices. We had cheddar on hand when I made these but I’ve used different shredded cheeses or cheese combinations in this recipe and they are all delicious.

3. Stir in the cooked sausage and combine it all well.

Stuff the Peppers.

Stuff each pepper half with the cheese and sausage mixture and sprinkle with extra cheese. I usually have a few peppers left over that I save to use in something else.

Bake.

Place peppers on a shhet pan and put them back in the oven and bake for an additional 8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the filling is warm.

These are still delish after they cool but even better fresh out of the oven and warm! If I’m taking them somewhere and I’m not going to serve them warm, I like to flower them out on a round platter:

Storage.

If you have any left, you can store the poppers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days.

This is the perfect appetizer because it’s a winner not just for taste and presentation, but being low carb is special bonus. We watch the Super Bowl with friends every year and everyone brings a dish – there’s always a ridiculous amount of delicious food, but most of it is not carb and keto friendly. Now this is one of my go-to easy appetizer recipes that gives us an option to be good. Sorry, not sorry Super Bowl date schedulers/diet wreckers😂.

What are some of your best appetizers for Super Bowl Sunday?

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