These banana peppers are loaded with perfectly seasoned ground pork, smothered in homemade marinara sauce, and topped with golden brown mozzarella cheese.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Set aside a 9x13 or 10x15-inch baking dish.
To Make the Marinara Sauce:
Heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes and salt. Turn the heat down to low and allow it to simmer while prepping the stuffed peppers.
To Make the Stuffed Peppers:
In a bowl, combine the pork, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, dried basil, dried oregano, paprika, and black pepper.
Spread 1/3 of the marinara in the bottom of the baking dish.
Stuff about 2 tablespoons of the seasoned pork mixture into each half of the banana peppers until all of the stuffing is used up. Place the stuffed peppers into the baking dish on top of the marinara sauce.
Top with the rest of the marinara sauce spreading it out to evenly cover the peppers.
Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the peppers.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes. Broil for 2 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Top with extra parsley.
Allow the peppers to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
This makes enough for about 6 servings if served as an appetizer with other food.
If serving these peppers as a main dish, it's enough for 4 people. I recommend serving them with steamed white rice or crusty bread to round out the meal.
Store the stuffed peppers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.