Tasso Stuffed Peppers

I knew as soon as I tasted the Teet's tasso that it would be great in a stuffed pepper. The smokiness & robust flavor holds up well in the peppers and pairs nicely with the Colby-Jack cheese I used.

Stuffed banana peppers are a summertime staple in our house once the garden starts producing. I love to make stuffed peppers all year round, actually. These are the ones I grew up on, stuffed with Italian sausage, cheeses, garlic and onions, and served with crusty bread or rolls. They were often a starter but work equally as well as an entrée. My husband and I put the peppers on rolls & eat them as sandwiches. I use dehydrated onions in the recipe because fresh onions often give out more liquid than I’d like, the dehydrated ones absorb some of the moisture and flavor of the other ingredients. I have used fresh that I've sauteed, those work equally well adding flavor without extra moisture.

Tasso Stuffed Peppers
by Mary Polovinuk

8 medium or 16 small peppers, sweet or hot
1/2 pound Teet's Smoked Pure Pork Tasso, diced
8 ounces shredded Colby/Jack cheese or any of your favorite shredded cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder or 1 teaspoon dehydrated onion
pinch of salt & pinch of pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the diced ham, cheeses, egg, bread crumbs & spices in medium size bowl. Set aside.

Cut the tops of the peppers and slit each pepper down the side. Clean out the seeds and remove the vein. If using hot peppers and wishing to retain some heat, leave a few of the seeds and some of the vein intact.

Open the peppers slightly and stuff loosely with the stuffing mixture. Press the peppers closed and place in a 11”x 9” pan or any roasting pan. Once all the peppers are stuffed, drizzle with olive oil.

I like to grind some fresh black pepper over the peppers at this point. You could also sprinkle with more grated cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with rolls or fresh bread. Add a salad and you have dinner!