Stuffed Peppers
Tasty, filling and fabulous flavor. My kids enjoy preparing and eating this recipe; although one would rather just eat the filling. Influence the type of cuisine based on the spices and cheese you choose to use.
Tasty, filling and fabulous flavor. My kids enjoy preparing and eating this recipe; although one would rather just eat the filling. Influence the type of cuisine based on the spices and cheese you choose to use.
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 bell peppers halved vertically and seeded
- 1 clove garlic optional
- 0.5 pound ground beef, extra-lean
- 1 salt to taste
- 1 pepper to taste
- 0.5 teaspoon basil
- 2 large tomatoes; diced (i regularly drain seeds/juice fro
- 3 cups brown rice cooked
- 8 ounces cheese shredded or crumbled
- Carbohydrate 83.1500439442306 g
- Cholesterol 66.5268808983333 mg
- Fat 27.5280137737844 g
- Fiber 7.24045015342962 g
- Protein 24.8705070799389 g
- Saturated Fat 12.1363159705109 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (318g)
- Sodium 271.086625259653 mg
- Sugar 75.909593790801 g
- Trans Fat 2.18916911863623 g
- Calories 674 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease the cut side of the peppers or lightly grease the baking sheet and place peppers cut side down (I once made the mistake of using a spray--and clean up was a pain. As you can see from the picture, I like my stainless steel to shine!
- Roast the peppers in the oven for 20-30 minutes. I use the shorter time as I don't want the peppers to flop and I like them a bit more al dente. At the longer time, they will be very tender and the skins may even brown.
- While the peppers are roasting, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and saute the onion until translucent and add beef crumbling well. I use a wooden spatula, but keep meaning to try a zig-zag potato masher like Rachel Ray.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Drain well (I blot with 3 paper towels, more if I bought 80-20).
- Toss seasonings with diced tomatoes and add tomatoes to the beef mixture and mix well.
- Next add the rice and mix well, and finally, add the cheese and mix well again (I put some aside to "cap" each pepper).
- In a baking dish, place peppers cut side up and fill with the beef, rice and cheese mixture. Based on how big the peppers are, stuff loosely or cram carefully until you fill in all those nooks and crannies and fill them equally! Top with a sprinkling of cheese if you put some aside.
- Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, until heated through and cheese cap has golden brown spots. I reduced the temperature to 375 and the cheese did not brown enough (but the family was impatient and wanted to eat their masterpieces!). Enjoy!
While traditional casseroles bury vegetables within a heavy matrix of starches, stuffing hollowed bell peppers preserves their structural integrity while concentrating their natural sweetness during roasting. Pre-roasting the pepper halves face-down at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes softens the walls without rendering them completely limp, ensuring they hold their shape once loaded with protein and grain. Draining excess rendered fat from the extra-lean ground beef using paper towels prevents the final dish from becoming greasy, which is particularly important when incorporating dense melting cheeses that contribute their own rich dairy fats.
- Grease the baking sheet directly rather than using an aerosol cooking spray, as propellants can bake onto stainless steel surfaces and create stubborn residue.
- Keep the roasting time closer to 20 minutes if you prefer the peppers to maintain a slight al dente snap rather than collapsing entirely under the weight of the filling.
- Reserve a portion of the shredded cheese to cap each stuffed pepper during the final 5 to 10 minutes of baking until golden brown spots appear.
Pair these robust, cheese-capped peppers with a bright, acid-driven green salad dressed simply in lemon juice and high-grade olive oil to cut through the rich beef and melted dairy. A crisp, dry white wine or a tart sparkling water with citrus notes provides a refreshing palate cleanser that balances the hearty, savory grains and roasted vegetables.
