Cornbread Stuffed Bell Pepper Rings – National Cornbread Finalist Recipe!

Cornbread Stuffed Bell Pepper Rings are the perfect side or main meal.  Bursting with flavor, this recipe is one all your family and friends will LOVE!

The Southern Plate founder Christy Jordan was honored to serve as a judge at the National Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. Little did she know, this would be one of the most difficult jobs she would ever have. 

Each and every dish was truly amazing, blending new and classic flavors together in fresh and fun ways. They finally narrowed it down to three finalist but She really and truly wanted everyone to win!

Linda Carman, head of Martha White Test Kitchens, and myself as Christy look very serious while they try to figure out how to possibly choose a favorite recipe…

Today’s recipe didn’t end up in the top three but it did make the initial top ten and was her personal favorite.  Love stuffed peppers and love cornbread? This recipe replaces the traditional rice with cornbread batter and adds in a wonderful blend of cheeses along with a really fun way to bake it.

Tim made stuffed pepper rings rather than just stuffed peppers, the rings make a perfect sized side dish and allow for a yummy crust to form on the bottom when it’s cooking. The peppers themselves were cooked just enough to bring the sweetness out and soften them without letting them get mooshy.

Lets dig into these stuffed pepper rings, my favorite!

Italian Sausage Stuffed Bell Pepper Rings

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons Crisco® Pure Vegetable Oil
  • 4 large green bell peppers
  • 1 7 oz. package Martha White® Sweet Yellow Cornbread and Muffin Mix
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage browned and drained
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 jalapeño peppers seeded and diced
  • 1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies
  • 1/2 cup shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend
  • 8 slices or 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • HEAT oven to 400°F. Put vegetable oil into 15-inch Lodge® cast iron skillet. Place in oven to heat for 7 to 8 minutes or until hot.
  • CUT tops and bottoms off each bell pepper. Remove ribs and seeds. Cut each pepper shell into two rings.
  • STIR together cornbread mix, buttermilk and egg in large bowl just until blended. Add sausage, onion, jalapeños, tomatoes and green chilies and shredded cheese blend. Stir until combined.
  • PLACE pepper rings in bottom of hot skillet. Spoon sausage stuffing mixture into each pepper ring until well rounded. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until stuffing is set and golden brown. Top each pepper with a slice of mozzarella or sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top. Bake 5 to 7 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove pepper rings from skillet with spatula. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings

    *Images and recipe courtesy of Martha White

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      93 Comments

      1. have used the pepper rings for years,,, easier than using the larger pieces of pepper… works grreat~

      2. How do I convert the 7oz mix for just regular self-rising cornmeal which is Martha White’s of course? I’ve never been good at ounces vs. cups…..
        Can’t wait to try this. Love your column/blog/web-site….. Thanks for sharing!!

      3. Oh Lawdy! These look incredibly yummy! My Bell Peppers need to hurry up and grow so that I can make these babies!!!!! Stuffed Peppers are one of my favorite dishes. Thanks for sharing 😉

      4. your recipes are so tempting that i purchased STAPLES for the first time in years…i tried a simple cobbler today and baked the spoon in it…TRYING!
        Rhonda Daye

      5. What a beautiful picture of you, Christy. And this recipe is genius! I never would have thought to replace the rice with cornbread, nor would I have sliced the peppers into rings. I wonder if I could even make little rings using Anaheims or poblanos? I’ll definitely keep this recipe to try out on my unsuspecting family. Thanks!

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