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!
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!
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
My work philosophy:
1. If you’re gonna do a job, do it with joy.
2. If you can’t do it with joy, don’t do it.
3. If #2 isn’t an option, see #1.~Source, Me 🙂
Made the peppers last night were very good. I lived in Madison on Church st 112 in 1968 . I no the place is not the same. I am in florida now. Want to try the dough nuts next.
I’m with Jackie, I’m ashamed to say I don’t have an iron skillet and a friend of mine recently made these and said she didn’t hav e that cornbread mix so she used jiffy and it worked just fine. She said they were delicious. She said she felt the iron skillet was important. What do you think Christy, any suggestion? Be going to my Mom’s house in West Virginia soon and I’m gonna beg for one of her skillets or go by one. Need it for a pineapple upside down cake too! 😉
I didn’t use an iron skillet either. I just used a cake pan, but I cooked the bell peppers in the pan where I browned the meat for a couple minutes to give it a little bit of a charred taste. They turned out great!
The local flea markets are the best places to buy good old cast iron skillets that are already seasoned and well used, Look for one with a smooth surface inside, not a pebbled finish. Many people throw them aside when the outside gets baked-on grease accumulated, Either heat in your outdoor grill and scrape off with a sharp knife, or spray oven cleaner on outside and scrape. Then wash in hot soapy water,,rinse, dry and grease lightly; never put your cast iron in the dishwasher. If your cast iron begins to rust or stick, wash and dry, rub with unsalted shortening or cooking oil with a wad of paper towel, place in medium or low heated oven for a while to re season your cast iron skillet.
i don’t have a cast iron skillet and never heard of that cornbread mix. Can I still make it?
Please tell Patsy in CA , I have found Martha White Cornmeal at Winco Foods.
I made these for dinner last night, and OH MY! They are soo delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
i would so love to win this for my kids and myself.Thanks for the chance to win:)
I definitely have to try these. They look so yummy!!