Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers Recipe
These filling and flavorful peppers are an updated version of my mom's stuffed peppers, which were a favorite when I was growing up in upstate New York. Whenever I make them, I'm reminded of home.
These filling and flavorful peppers are an updated version of my mom's stuffed peppers, which were a favorite when I was growing up in upstate New York. Whenever I make them, I'm reminded of home.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 small sweet onion chopped
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 3 small tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup frozen corn thawed
- 3/4 cup cubed monterey jack cheese
- 1 can (4-1/4 ounces) chopped ripe olives
- 1/3 cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup canned red beans rinsed and drained
- 4 fresh basil leaves thinly sliced
- 6 large sweet peppers
- 3/4 cup meatless spaghetti sauce
- 4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese divided
- Carbohydrate 39.391496639034 g
- Cholesterol 1.83333333411954 mg
- Fat 2.01823043080063 g
- Fiber 7.26895949803569 g
- Protein 6.6741202373815 g
- Saturated Fat 0.57127722383952 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (388g)
- Sodium 47.6414137321365 mg
- Sugar 32.1225371409983 g
- Trans Fat 0.512797235051447 g
- Calories 197 calories
Step-by-step
- Place the first 12 ingredients in a large bowl; mix lightly to combine.
- Cut and discard tops from sweet peppers; remove seeds.
- Fill peppers with rice mixture.
- In a small bowl, mix spaghetti sauce and water; pour half of the mixture into an oval 5-qt. slow cooker.
- Add filled peppers.
- Top with remaining sauce.
- Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.
- Cook, covered, on low 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until heated through and peppers are tender.
- Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
Stuffed vegetables require careful moisture management because raw produce releases significant liquid during prolonged cooking. Modifying the filling ingredients demands understanding how starches and proteins absorb that excess fluid over several hours of steady heat.
- Rice acts as the primary moisture sink; substituting uncooked grains for the specified two cups of cooked brown rice requires adding an extra half-cup of liquid to prevent the interior from drying out before the grains fully hydrate.
- Monterey Jack cheese introduces dairy fats that melt and emulsify into the surrounding grains, whereas harder cheeses like aged cheddar will separate into oil pools if subjected to the low heat for longer than four hours.
- Rinsing canned black beans and red beans thoroughly removes excess starches that can otherwise scorch against the ceramic walls of a 5-quart slow cooker.
- Sweet peppers soften significantly once internal temperatures reach 185 degrees Fahrenheit, signaling that the structural cell walls have broken down sufficiently to absorb the surrounding tomato sauce flavors.
Thawing frozen corn before mixing prevents pockets of ice from lowering the overall temperature of the filling. Monitoring the slow cooker lid ensures steam condenses properly without diluting the tomato-based sauce below.
