- 6
- 10 mins
- 40 mins
Ingredients
- Slow Cooker Meat Sauce:
- 3 large red bell peppers
- 2 cups cooked wild rice
- 3 cups Slow Cooker Meat Sauce
- 3/4 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 2 lbs ground Italian sausage (I used sweet)
- 1 lb ground chuck
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 onions, diced
- 2 bell peppers, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 3 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 parmesan rind
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2 teaspoons fresh)
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (to your taste)
Preparation
Step 1
Slow Cooker Meat Sauce:
In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot set over medium/high heat, brown sausage and ground chuck. Remove from heat, drain excess fat, and transfer cooked sausage and beef to 6 quart slow cooker.
Return Dutch Oven to stove. Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions, peppers and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions and peppers are soft and garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Transfer vegetable mixture to slow cooker.
Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, parmesan rind, thyme, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to slow cooker and stir to combine.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Peppers:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut peppers in half and remove seeds and ribs. Line pepper halves in a 9x13 baking dish.
In a large bowl, mix together rice and meat sauce. Divide mixture between the pepper halves. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water in the bottom of the baking dish. Bake peppers for 20 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over the tops of the stuffed peppers and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and filling is hot.
Enjoy!