Step 1: Preheat & Prep the Peppers

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Wash and dry the bell peppers. Cut them in half horizontally, making sure to cut evenly.
3. Using a paring knife, carefully remove the stem from the top half of each bell pepper. It’s okay if a small hole remains.
4. Arrange the bell pepper halves in a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
5. Brush each pepper with 1 Tbsp of cooking oil and season with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp cracked black pepper.
6. Bake the peppers for 20 minutes until slightly softened. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Step 2: Cook the Filling

1. While the peppers bake, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp cooking oil.
2. Add the Italian sausage and cook until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks.
3. Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the pan. Sauté until the onion is translucent and fragrant.
4. Stir in the uncooked rice, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, and chicken broth.
5. Cover the skillet with a lid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
6. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer without lifting the lid for 20 minutes.
7. Turn off the heat and let the mixture sit for 5 more minutes before removing the lid. Fluff the rice with a fork.

Step 3: Stuff & Bake

1. Evenly distribute the sausage and rice mixture into the bell pepper halves, filling them to the top.
2. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over each stuffed pepper.
3. Loosely cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. Remove the foil and switch the oven to broil. Broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
5. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and enjoy!