I don’t know about you, but if I can cook something in a crockpot then I am all about it! It is so convenient as you can throw a dinner together in the morning, set it to cook and forget about it! How easy is that? These stuffed peppers with sausage and couscous are easy to put together and full of flavor. They are also very customizable both in what you stuff them with as well as how they are cooked. If you love stuffed peppers, then these crockpot sausage and couscous stuffed peppers may just be your new favorite!
The Tools:
For this recipe, the only real “tool” that you need is the crockpot. You will need to choose one that can accommodate the green peppers. I find that and oval shaped crockpot works best so that they are not all smushed together. https://amzn.to/38Hcsyf
Of course, you need a good, reliable crockpot. Always check periodically for recalls as they happen often. If you have crockpot, you know that one con can be cleaning. This can be solved by picking up some good crockpot liners. Just pull them out and toss ’em when you’re done! 
Making The Sausage and Couscous Stuffed Peppers:
The first step to making stuffed peppers is wash and get rid of the seeds and core. I use a small, sharp knife to accomplish this. Just make a circular cut around the stem and pull it out. Then you can scrape out any remaining seeds. Any color of pepper would work here, so don’t feel limited to green ones. I tend to choose green more often because they are less expensive.
Once your peppers are prepped, you can move on the filling. Start by cooking your onions until they are tender, then toss in the sausage. This recipe uses Italian pork sausage, which gives it just a hint of spice but tons of flavor! Make sure to break up the meat as you go so that it cooks evenly. A great tool for this is a meat masher. They work really well! https://amzn.to/38pBTnC
As you can see, the sausage does create a good bit of grease so you will want to drain that off before proceeding. Once it is drained, add the tomato paste, sauce, garlic, salt and pepper to the meat mixture. It will already be smelling amazing! Now it is time for the other star ingredient, the couscous. If you have never tried couscous before, don’t be scared! It light and fluffy and very mild in flavor! You could certainly use rice also if you are not feeling so adventurous. Couscous can be found in the rice section of your store. The quick cooking is great because, well, it’s quick!
The couscous will cook in the skillet if you add some water and cover. It only takes about 5 minutes until it is ready!
Fill the peppers:
Now you are ready to stuff those peppers! I stuff them to the max and allow any excess to fall into the bottom of the pot. Don’t waste any! The great part about this recipe is that the filling is completely cooked, so you are only cooking the pepper itself. My husband and I differ on our opinions of what “done” is. He likes his more crispy while I prefer mine soft. Cook the stuffed peppers to your own preferences. Crispy or soft, they will still be delicious!
Just before serving the sausage and couscous stuffed peppers (about five minutes), top each one with a tablespoon or two of pepperjack cheese. Pop the cover back on so the cheese will melt. Pepperjack has just the right amount of spice to brighten up this dish.
And there you have it folks! A quick weeknight dinner that is full of flavor and super easy to make! I hope your family enjoys these crockpot sausage and couscous stuffed peppers just as much as we do! Happy cooking!
Stuffed Pepper Variations:
Peppers: Any color of pepper would work for these sausage and couscous stuffed peppers (green, yellow, red). You can control how soft the peppers get by adjusting the cooking time. If you are not a fan of the whole pepper, you can chop of the peppers rather than leave whole.
Meat: You can substitute any ground meat or sausage in this recipe. I have made them with ground beef before and they turned out just fine.
Grains: This recipe calls for couscous, but if you can’t find it in your store then you could swap out for white or brown rice.
Cheese: If you don’t like the spice of pepperjack, feel free to use cheddar or another similar cheese instead.
Cooking Variation: This recipe can be made in the oven if you don’t have access to a crockpot or want to cut up the peppers. Simply bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Crockpot Sausage and Couscous Stuffed Peppers
Equipment
- crockpot
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground Italian pork sausage
- 6 green peppers washed, seeds and core removed
- 1 cup 5 min Couscous
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 cup water
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- olive oil for pan
- additional water for crockpot (about 1 cup)
Instructions
- Wash peppers and cut out core and seeds by cutting a hole in the top of the pepper. (See picture above)
- In a medium large skillet over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and chopped onions. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until onions have softened, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add sausage to the pan and break up large chunks to ensure even cooking. Cook until the sausage is browned and cooked through.
- Drain off excess grease
- Add in tomato paste, tomato sauce, and garlic, salt and pepper.
- Add in couscous and stir to combine
- Slowly add one cup of water and stir until combined. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until couscous is tender. Remove from heat and stir to fluff the couscous.
- Drizzle a little oil over the bell peppers and season with salt and pepper. Place in crockpot.
- Fill each pepper with meat mixture. Place excess filling in crockpot if desired.
- Slowly pour about 1 cup of water in the bottom of of the crockpot to help create steam.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until peppers are desired tenderness
- About 5 minutes before serving, place 1-2 Tbsps of cheese on each pepper and re-cover until melted.
