Slice the tops of the bell peppers off. Then scrape out the seeds and veins. Dice the tops of the peppers but remove the core. You'll need ½ cup of chopped tops.
In a large skillet on medium high heat, sauté the diced onions and bell peppers. If your skillet is not non-stick, you may need to add a bit of olive oil to prevent them from sticking. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until they begin to soften.
Crumble in the Italian sausage, mix it in well and continue to cook until the pork sausage is mostly done, another 2-3 minutes.
Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh parsley. Stir well and reduce head to medium.
Stir in the rice until it is completed combined with the sausage and vegetables.
Stir in the pasta sauce (but reserve about a cup for later) and heat though. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups of cheese.
Stuff each of the peppers to just above the top.
Once all the peppers have been stuffed, pour the remaining pasta sauce into the now empty skillet. Place each pepper in the skillet.
Cover the stuffed peppers with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.
At the end of the cooking time, remove the foil and top each pepper with the remaining cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly, melted, and browned.
Outdoor Camp Oven
Heat coals in a charcoal chimney and do the prep work for preparing the recipe.
Once hot, place 9-10 coals on bottom (camp table, fire pit, etc).
Nestle camp oven on top of the coals.
Follow directions above for making the recipe.
Cover with the camp oven lid. Place heated coals over the entire lid.
Use a lid lifter when adding the cheese and then serving.
Notes
Choose peppers that stand upright. If they wobble, trim a thin slice from the bottom. Don't cut through to the cavity or juices will leak.
Pre-cook for tender peppers. Blanch in boiling water for 3-5 minutes before stuffing for a softer pepper. Skip this if you prefer more bite.
Don't over-pack. Leave about a quarter inch at the top so the cheese has room to melt without overflowing.
Add liquid to the pan. Pour remaining sauce into the bottom of the cast iron. The steam cooks the peppers from the outside in.
Tent with foil first. Cover for the first 35 minutes to trap steam. Remove foil for the last 5-10 minutes for a golden, bubbly top.
Use a meat thermometer. The filling should reach 165°F, especially with sausage.