Sausage & Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppers

Sausage, cream cheese and shredded cheese mixes together to create an excellent low-carb filling for green bell peppers!

This keto sausage and cream cheese stuffed pepper recipe is an easy dinner recipe that our whole family enjoys!

If you like this recipe you may also enjoy Bell Pepper Taco Dip with Meat and Sausage and Cream Cheese Dip.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Every bite is meaty, cheesy, creamy and has a slight crunch from cooked green peppers that leaves you enjoying the savory and fresh flavors.

One half of a generously stuffed pepper will often fill me up, unless I’ve been working really hard, then a whole pepper makes a great meal.

Our kids enjoy rice pilaf or pasta on the side, but as adults, we find the stuffed peppers are really satisfying as a stand-alone one-dish meal.

We love recipes like this that combine meat and vegetables into a delicious meal like our Old Fashioned Sausage, Potatoes and Green Beans, and Ham, Egg & Cheese Casserole.

I like to make or buy Italian Sausage which is ground pork with the flavorings already included. I find that splitting the meat half plain ground pork and half flavored sausage works well for our family’s tastes.

We have made this recipe with all ground pork and sausage as well as with half ground pork and half ground beef. Using all pork has a juicer, richer flavor. Mixing the meats half and half gives a leaner flavor that is delicious, but a bit lighter.

Keto Stuffed Bell Peppers with Cream Cheese

Cream cheese is the key ingredient to a memorable stuffed pepper filling. Blending the meat together with a rich and creamy addition helps spread all of the spices evenly throughout the stuffing.

I typically use green peppers over colored peppers because they are cheaper. Using red, yellow or orange peppers is also fine and cream cheese perfectly compliments any of them. Colored peppers will likely be sweeter and may look a bit prettier, but we’re about utility and budget here.

My family has spent more time prioritizing our health and we’ve found it is easier to drop weight when we eat fewer carbs. So while we don’t follow a strict keto diet, we do have several keto recipes that we love adding to our meal rotation.

A couple of our favorites are Crock Pot Keto Cauliflower Casserole and Stuffed Pepper Soup.

Why This Recipe Works:

• You can really fill up the peppers to have more meaty and cheesy flavors or partially fill for a higher veggie ratio.
• This cheesy sausage filling would make a great sandwich, but I love trading the sandwich bun for more vegetables and a healthy meal.
• This keto and low-carb meal tastes great and is always popular when shared with friends or family.
• Easy to make ahead and then bake in the oven or cook in a crock pot.

Ingredients Needed:

• Green Bell Peppers – These are economical and add a great fresh flavor. Red, yellow or orange bell peppers work fine, but we prefer green bell peppers for this.
• Italian Sausage – Mild Italian is our preference, but you can add some heat to this meal by adjusting to zesty sausage or adding some red pepper flakes.
• Sausage – A basically seasoned sausage or ground pork works well. You can also mix in a pound of lean ground beef.
• Seasoned Salt – Lowry’s is the brand we have on hand, but a teaspoon of your favorite blended seasoning works well.
• Granulated Onion – Dried is easiest to use, however 1/2 cup of minced onion can be cooked into the ground meat.
• Cheddar Cheese – Using a variety of cheeses makes a more dynamic flavor.
• Grated Parmesan – Adds a depth of flavor in an easy way.
• Cream Cheese – The key creamy filling ingredients that helps blend everything else together.
• Mozzarella Cheese – The most mild cheese that mixes in and melts so beautifully on top.

Should Peppers Be Boiled Before Stuffing?

Fresh bell peppers do not need to be boiled, baked or softened in any way before filling and baking.

Wash, remove seeds and allow peppers to dry before stuffing. When cooked meat is stuffed in the peppers they will soften in 30 – 40 minutes in the oven.

Should Meat Be Cooked Before Stuffing a Pepper?

I find that cooking the ground meat, whether it’s sausage or hamburger before stuffing into a raw pepper is safest. I can see that all of the pink is gone before stuffing the pepper which makes the rest of the cooking process easier and more worry free.

Cooking the meat before stuffing is the fastest way to bake peppers too.

Always wash the peppers and remove the stems and seeds and rinse again before stuffing. Be sure that the peppers are well drained prior to stuffing.

The cream cheese and tomatoes help provide plenty of liquid that keep the meat moist as the peppers soften during the baking time.

This batch of stuffed peppers has all pork, which was cooked prior to stuffing, and a whole block of cream cheese which make it more of a chip dip consistency.

How to Cut Stuffed Peppers

As someone who cooks, but hasn’t made a lot of stuffed peppers I like to cut the peppers in half horizontally because it’s easier for me. I also find that it’s easier to see that all of the cheese is melted and determine how soft the baked peppers are.

Any shape of pepper can be cut in half and laid on its side to fill. Peppers with the top cut off must have more balance, uniformity and the right size pan to remain standing upright during the baking process.

Since I want to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible I cut the peppers in half and keep on moving.

How to Make Sausage and Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppers

Cook the ground meat in a skillet over medium high heat. We like to use meat masher to stir because it saves time and makes the cooking process a bit easier.

Once cooked, drain meat well.

While the meat is cooking I like to clean the peppers and prepare them for stuffing.

If using a large skillet, return meat to the pan with the heat on low or turned off.

Or put in a mixing bowl and use your mixer to blend all ingredients except the mozzarella cheese together.

Season meat with salt, pepper and granulated onion.

Add cream cheese and cheddar cheese.

Mix everything together well.

Divide stuffing evenly among pepper halves and fill those bell peppers up.

Cover with foil or a heat safe lid and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.

Add grated parmesan cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese to the top of the peppers and bake for an additional 10 minutes at 350°F.

There is enough stuffing for 6 whole peppers in this recipe, so a second pan is usually necessary.

Tips for Making the Best Stuffed Peppers

• Use your favorite combination to get 2 pounds of meat, substitutions are welcomed!
• We prefer Colby or cheddar cheese to mix in with the meat and mozzarella on top
• More cream cheese means the mixture is creamier, less cream cheese means the mixture is firmer
• Adding tomatoes to the filling is optional if you want to increase the amount of vegetables
• If using tomatoes tiny pieces mix much better and ensure that canned tomatoes are well-drained or you may have soup
• We learned that more cream cheese makes more of a chip dip texture like our Queso With Sausage, so sometimes we use the whole block of cream cheese and serve with tortilla chips
• I like to cover the peppers with foil for the first 20 minutes to help trap in heat and soften the peppers without drying out the meat
• Wait to add mozzarella cheese on top until the last 10 minutes of baking time or that cheese will burn
• Bake uncovered so the cheese can melt and lightly brown for the last 10 minutes without melting to the foil on top.

Crock Pot Version

I’ve also made this recipe in the crock pot on low for two – three hours and then turn up to high for about 15 minutes after adding the parmesan and mozzarella cheese at the end. The cheese will melt, but it will not brown.

The meal is still very delicious!

Other Easy Family Meal Ideas

• Smoked Sausage, Peppers, Onions & Potatoes Skillet
• Copycat Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli
• Smoked Sausage & Cheesy Potato Casserole
• Turkey, Cheddar and Bacon Sliders
• Chicken Casserole with Red Lobster Biscuit Mix
• Cold Lunch Ideas

Click HERE to sign-up for our weekly newsletter to get more easy and delicious recipes!

Originally published February 26, 2020 with pictures updated on July 3, 2023.