Smoked Sausage & Rice Stuffed Peppers

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.

2. Slice Eckrich Smoked Sausage in half lengthwise. Place on one end of well-greased rimmed baking pan (15-inch x 11-inch).

3. In a 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cook 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly tender, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook covered for 15 to 20 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is tender.

4. Meanwhile, sprinkle the inside of bell peppers with ½ teaspoon of the salt; place face down on pan with sausage. Bake 20 minutes or until peppers are tender. Cut sausage into bite-sized slices.

5. Stir remaining ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, basil, spinach, tomato and sausage into rice mixture; cover and let stand several minutes to heat thoroughly. Flip peppers onto serving platter; fill with sausage and rice mixture.