Emerilís Sausage Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

One-half pound bulk pork breakfast sausage, crumbled
1 cup chopped onions
One-half cup chopped bell peppers
One-half cup chopped celery
One-half teaspoon salt
One-fourth teaspoon cayenne
One and one-half cups cooked long-grain rice
One-fourth cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
4 medium bell peppers, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds removed
One-fourth cup dried fine bread crumbs
One-fourth cup freshly grated Parmesan
One-half teaspoon Emeril's Original Essence

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400? F.† Brown the sausage in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, and cayenne. Cook, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are wilted. Add the rice and mix well. Cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the green onions and parsley. Mix again.

Spoon the mixture into the bell peppers. Combine the bread crumbs, cheese, and sprinkle evenly over the tops of the bell peppers. Place the peppers in a shallow pan and add just enough water to cover the bottom. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the tops are crusty and brown.

Serve hot with warm French bread, sliced Fuji apples, slivers of aged Pecorino Romano, and good Chianti. Yum.