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Mini Peppers are stuffed with zesty turkey sausage, fresh mozzarella and basil, then cooked on the grill to make bite-sized appetizers.

When a recipe involves sausage, mini peppers, fresh mozzarella and the grill, I tend to think that it has everything going for it. I first became enamored by these mini sweet peppers when I skewered them in a Mixed Grill with Sausages, Mini Peppers & Zucchini. The colors are vibrant and the peppers are perfect little vessels to hold a variety of stuffings. This combination of sausage, cheese and basil happens to be low calorie and low in fat, thanks to the ingredients that I chose.

Both the peppers and the sausages came from Costco. I used 5th Street Grill Italian Turkey Sausages with Peppers & Onions, but use whichever sausages appeal to you. The 5th Street Grill sausages contain only 100 calories and 3.5g of fat per sausage link. And my family loves the flavor - a must for any recipe.

The beauty of a recipe like this, besides being treated to little bursts of flavor when you pop the peppers into your mouth, is that it lends itself to variations.

Here are a few variations:

- Sauteed, chopped mushrooms with fresh thyme
- Goat cheese, topped with panko breadcrumbs
- Cream cheese and crumbled bacon
- Black beans, Monterey jack cheese and salsa
- Chopped artichoke hearts and feta cheese
- Shredded Buffalo chicken and cheddar cheese

Recipe:

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

Grill the turkey sausage, about 4 minutes per side. Dice the sausage and place in a bowl.

Add the mozzarella to the sausage, along with half of the basil and the ground pepper.

Turn the grill to medium heat.

Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the membranes and seeds. Place the peppers in a bowl and toss with the olive oil.

Fill each pepper with about 1 teaspoon of the sausage mixture. Place the stuffed peppers on the grill and cook until the peppers are beginning to soften and the cheese is melted, 5 to 7 minutes.

Garnish the peppers with the remaining basil. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Other grilled appetizers:

Cookin' Canuck's Grilled Zucchini Roll Recipe with Goat Cheese, Roasted Peppers & Capers
Cookin' Canuck's Grilled Mushrooms with Smoked Paprika & Chive Dipping Sauce
Half Baked Harvest's Peach & Gorgonzola Grilled Polenta Rounds with Chipotle Honey
Italian Chips' Grilled Eggplant with Buffalo Mozzarella & Fresh Tomato
A Bachelor & His Grill's Mango & Chilli-Glazed Grilled Kauai Prawn

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