Sausage and pepperoni pizza filling stuffed into bright and colorful mini peppers makes the perfect Keto or low carb party appetizer.
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The inspiration for this dish was these beautiful tri-color mini bell peppers that I saw at the grocery store. Not only were they adorable and so vibrant, they were on sale!
I take Homemade Marinara Sauce and combine it with my favorite pizza toppings: Italian sausage, pepperoni and kalamata olives, add shredded mozzarella cheese and stuff inside these peppers. Bake with gooey melted mozzarella cheese over the tops and serve!
Treat them just like you would homemade pizza and use any low carb pizza toppings that you like.
What’s in Keto Pizza Stuffed Peppers?
- Mini bell peppers
- Pepperoni
- Italian sausage
- Kalamata olives
- Mozzarella cheese
- Marinara Sauce
*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
How to Make Pizza Stuffed Peppers
Preheat oven to 375F.
Slice the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs, then discard. For larger peppers, slice them in half from the top down, then remove the seeds and ribs.
Stand the peppers open side up in a casserole dish that’s been sprayed with non-stick spray. Add a few tablespoons of water on the bottom. If you have a pepper that’s not standing straight up, level the bottom using a knife, removing a tiny piece of the pepper.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, while you prepare the filling.
Brown the ground Italian sausage in a large skillet. Once browned, drain and add to a large mixing bowl, along with the sausage, pepperoni, olives, marinara sauce, and half of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
Remove the peppers from the oven and carefully spoon the mixture into each pepper. Bake for another 30 minutes, then remove and increase the oven temperature to 450F.
Top with the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden.
Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to a few days. You can reheat them in the microwave or in the oven on 350F until heated through.
Should I Freeze Stuffed Bell Peppers Before of After Cooking
If you are wanting to freeze leftovers or possibly cooking them in advance to help with meal prep, you can do so easily.
To freeze stuffed peppers, cook and completely cool them. Place the stuffed peppers into a freezer safe container, or casserole dish. Wrap the entire dish in a couple of layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to a couple of months.
To reheat, thaw peppers in the fridge over night, then reheat in the oven on 350F until warmed through.
Are Bell Peppers Keto? What are the Carbs in Bell Pepper?
These stuffed mini stuffed peppers are perfectly fine on Keto. As with most peppers, you should eat them in moderation because they do contain carbs.
Yellow and red bell peppers have a sweeter flavor than green bell pepper. They also are higher in carbs. Green bell peppers have approximately 3 net carbs per cup, where as red peppers have 6 net grams and yellow has 8 net grams per cup.
Tips for the Best Stuffed Peppers
Preparing Easy Stuffed Peppers
- The peppers that I used are tri-color mini bell peppers. If you cannot find them in your local grocery store, you can use the color and size peppers of your choice. I cut the tops off, and removed the rib and seeds. Alternatively, you can cut them in half length-wise.
- When shopping for bell peppers, you shoud look peppers that are firm with glossy skin. If buying green peppers, they darker the better. Skip over the ones that are starting to shrivel or have spots on them. They are best when stored in the fridge and used within about 5 days of purchase.
- If you have trouble getting them to stand up straight and level, take a sharp knife and very slightly trim a tiny amount off the bottom of the pepper. Be careful not to cut all the way through, or the filling will leak out of the bottom. If you use the large bell peppers, you might cut them into quarters, so that the serving sizes will be comparable.
- Be sure to save the scraps! I had almost an entire sandwich baggie full scraps from my peppers and that’s a lot to just throw out! They will be perfect to use in a Stir Fry dish, Sausage and Pepper Breakfast Casserole or if you like Thai food, my Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Soup!
The Filling for Stuffed Belled Peppers
I use my Quick & Easy Marinara Sauce, but you can use any Low Carb/low sugar sauce that you like. I also used ground Italian sausage, pepperoni (whole) and cut into small pieces and chopped kalamata olives. You can use any pizza toppings you want- mushrooms, onions, ham, bacon, etc. I recommend that you sauté them first, especially the mushrooms, so they don’t release too much liquid in the peppers.
I also used pre-shredded mozzarella cheese inside the filling (yes, I know it’s frowned upon), because it doesn’t get watery like fresh mozzarella cheese does. You can certainly use fresh and grate it yourself, but there will be extra moisture inside the peppers.
More Low Carb and Keto Recipes
- Portobello Mushroom Mini Pizza
- Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza Pie
- Pepperoni Pizza with Fathead Dough
- Pepperoni Pizza Bagels
- Cauliflower Pizza Crust
More Keto and Low Carb Appetizers
- Crispy Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
- Eggplant Fries
- Jalapeño Popper Chicken Dip
- Parmesan Baked Artichoke Hearts
- Bang Bang Salmon Cakes
- Avocado Fries
Shop my favorite products on Amazon and check out my Keto Pantry List!
Pizza Stuffed Peppers – Keto and Low Carb
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound of mini bell peppers see notes
- 1/3 cup pepperoni cut into small pieces
- 12 ounces Italian sausage ground
- 1/4 cup Kalamata olives chopped
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup Marinara Sauce see my recipe or other Low Carb/Sugar
PREPARATION
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Slice the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs, then discard. For larger peppers, slice them in half from the top down, then remove the seeds and ribs. Stand the peppers open side up in a casserole dish that’s been sprayed with non-stick spray. Add a few tablespoons of water on the bottom. If you have a pepper that’s not standing straight up, level the bottom using a knife, removing a tiny piece of the pepper.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, while you prepare the filling.
- Brown the ground Italian sausage in a large skillet. Once browned, drain and add to a large mixing bowl, along with the sausage, pepperoni, olives, marinara sauce, and 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Remove the peppers from the oven and carefully spoon the mixture into each pepper. Bake for another 30 minutes, remove and increase the oven temperature to 450F.
- Top with the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden.
NOTES
