- 1 1/2 pounds bulk Italian sausage
- 1 large onion, cut into medium dice
- 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups long grain rice, uncooked
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 8 medium red or green bell peppers, stem ends sliced off and reserved for another use, seeds and membranes removed
- Heat a Dutch oven or soup kettle over medium-high heat. Add sausage and onions, breaking up sausage with a spatula. Cook until the sausage loses its raw color and the onions soften, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add soup, sauce, chili and garlic powders, Italian seasoning, water and rice. Bring to a boil and stir frequently. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until rice is tender and mixture is thick enough to be spooned into peppers, about 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile, bring 1 gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil and preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Working 4 at a time, add peppers to the water; simmer until crisp-tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Set them upright on a baking sheet.
- When rice is ready, spoon a portion into each pepper, filling each. Top with remaining cheese. Bake in preheated oven until peppers are fully cooked and filling is heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve.