Need an easy recipe for dinner? Look no further!
Stuffed peppers are definitely one of my favorite dishes to make. They are so versatile, so fun, and so delicious. Over the years I have made several variations on this recipe. The possibilities are nearly endless. All you need is a bell pepper of your choice, a meat (Or not! Go ahead, make ’em vegetarian!), a starch like rice or couscous, salsa or diced tomatoes, cheese, and a few seasonings. You can choose a theme and build from there–Italian, southwest, Greek!
Of course, there a few key things to keep in mind. It is important to roast the peppers before you fill them. This ensures that they are tender and flavorful. Also, make sure that you have enough liquid (diced tomatoes, salsa, etc.) to keep your pepper from getting dry. Other than that, it’s up to you!
Below is a classic Italian style stuffed pepper.
Stuffed Pepper Ingredients:
3 bell peppers (I prefer red, but green or yellow are fine too)
4 green onions
2 cloves garlic
1 cup chopped portabella mushrooms (optional)
1 pound ground meat (beef, pork sausage, turkey or wild game all work great)
1 cup jasmine white rice (2 cups cooked)
1 can diced Italian tomatoes
8 oz finely shredded Italian cheese blend
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder (divided)
1 ½ teaspoons onion powder (divided)
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Spray cooking oil
Stuffed Pepper Directions:
First, pre-heat your oven to 400. While oven is pre-heating, prepare jasmine white rice according to package directions. Next, slice your peppers into two pieces the long way (stem to bottom) and remove any seeds. Place the peppers in a 9×13 glass casserole dish, skin side down. Spray the peppers lightly with cooking spray and dust with garlic powder and onion powder (about a half a teaspoon of each) and salt and pepper. Roast peppers in the oven until tender and starting to caramelize (about 20 minutes).
While the peppers are roasting, heat large skillet on medium heat. Add meat and brown (if you are using a very lean meat you may need to add a teaspoon of olive oil). Finely chop garlic cloves and add to meat. Coarsely chop mushrooms (if desired) and add to meat when it is mostly browned. Season meat with remaining teaspoon of garlic, remaining teaspoon of onion powder, and Italian seasoning. When meat is fully cooked stir in cooked rice and diced green onions. Salt and pepper to taste.
Remove peppers from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350. Spoon generous amounts of filling into each pepper half (I like it overflowing). Pour diced Italian tomatoes over each pepper and top with shredded cheese. Bake stuffed peppers in the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and filling is heated through.
Want more great recipes?
Not Your Mama’s Tuna Noodle Casserole
Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage
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some really interesting information, well written and broadly user genial.