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Lately I've been thinking that it's about time for stuffed peppers now that the weather is showing signs of cooling.
CC has the best recipe I've ever used:

Slow-Cooker Stuffed Peppers

4 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup Arborio rice
8 oz hot Italian sausage, casings removed
2 onions, chopped fine
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 1/2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (1 1/4 cups)
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil

Working one at a time, cut off top 1/2 inch of bell peppers. Discard stem and seeds. Chop pepper tops into 1/4-inch pieces; reserve pepper cups. Microwave broth and rice in covered large bowl until liquid is absorbed and rice is nearly tender, 13 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook sausage in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up meat into small pieces, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to paper towel–lined plate.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Add onions and chopped pepper and cook until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, bring to boil, and remove from heat.

Combine 1 cup sauce, sausage, and 1 cup Parmesan with parcooked rice. Transfer remaining sauce to slow cooker. Using skewer, poke 4 holes in bottom of each reserved pepper cup. Fill each pepper with one-quarter of rice mixture and place upright in slow cooker. Top peppers with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Cover and cook on low until peppers and rice are tender, 4 to 4 1/2 hours.

Transfer peppers to plate. Stir basil into sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over peppers. Serve.

Servings: 4

Tips
While long-grain white rice is ideal for light and fluffy pilafs, it couldn’t handle the wet, slow environment of the slow cooker combined with a wet, tomato-heavy stuffing. The grains turned into blown-out mush. Starchy, short-grained Arborio rice, by contrast, produced a creamy filling.


Source: Cook's Country | August/September 2011

Thanks so much for posting this, Linda. My SIL was talking a few weeks ago about how much they love stuffed peppers and I actually don't think I've ever made them. Will give these a try!

Emilie

These are my favorite stuffed peppers as well. They are in heavy rotation here.

I used a stuffed pepper to clear out some older stuff in the fridge. Mushrooms, green onions, a six grain rice blend from the Japanese store, some cottage cheese, topped with breadcrumbs mixed with shredded parm. It got a bit crunchy, but it hit the spot. Sometimes I will blanch the pepper first, but this time I didn't.

I really like the CI, Stuffed Bell Peppers with Spiced Lamb, currants and feta cheese. Yum.
They also have one with chicken, smoked mozzerella and basil that I have not tried yet but will soon.
Karen

Doing stuffed peppers on the grill today.

No meat for me though, so stuffing them with bulgar, zucchini, and feta cheese.

The recipe ingredients sound good, but if I have to cook rice (in the microwave?) and saute the sausage in a pan, I am not sure it is easier to use the crockpot than just baking the peppers after you do all that. What is the benefit? Does it do something for the flavor profile or is it about not needed to run the oven (which I can appreciate).

Thanks,

--Lisa

Or, you could use the grill:

http://www.fuzzychef.org/bulgur-stuffed ... d-peppers/

The texture is really good without the added step of blanching the peppers. Also, it frees up the oven for CC's oven polenta, which is what I usually make to go with all of the extra sauce that the peppers recipe makes. I usually don't make stuff in the slow-cooker because I expect it will be easier. I do it because I want or need the time right before dinner for something else -- like Wizard101 with my kid.

"I do it because I want or need the time right before dinner for something else -- "
For me it's cocktail hour.