Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers
I've tried many recipes for stuffed bell pepper, but I find my recipe to be simple and absolutely flavorful. Any color bell pepper can be used, but I find that the red, yellow, or orange give the stuffed peppers a unique sweet taste. The peppers can be prepared the day before and baked the next day.
I've tried many recipes for stuffed bell pepper, but I find my recipe to be simple and absolutely flavorful. Any color bell pepper can be used, but I find that the red, yellow, or orange give the stuffed peppers a unique sweet taste. The peppers can be prepared the day before and baked the next day.
- 1 egg
- 4 meduim bell peppers ( make sure you select those t easier to bake)
- 1 carrot peeled
- 2 celery ribs
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
- 2 tablespoons of chicken bouillion
- 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup mint or cilantro (herb)
- 1 cup cooked white or brown rice or uncooked quick rice
- ketsup
- Carbohydrate 5.75934078129847 g
- Cholesterol 120.238760125 mg
- Fat 12.5347450312648 g
- Fiber 0.610225013458168 g
- Protein 24.6187352187603 g
- Saturated Fat 4.96458490615279 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (231g)
- Sodium 273.905397300026 mg
- Sugar 5.1491157678403 g
- Trans Fat 1.61774547037747 g
- Calories 239 calories
Step-by-step
- Wash bell peppers, cut the tops (reserve) and remove seeds. Set aside.
- In a food processor with the metal dough blade inserted add the carrot, celery, and onion.
- Pulse until semi finely chopped (do not over pulse, you'll end up with paste).
- Add ground beef or turkey, chicken bouillion, red pepper flakes, cilantro or mint (I prefer mint) and egg.
- Pulse until all incorporated.
- Remove from food processor bowl into a meduim bowl.
- Hand mix rice into meat and vegetable mixture.
- Equally divide meat mixure and stuff the bell peppers.
- Top with ketsup.
- Place stuffed bell pepper in center of a 9x13 shallow pan (that has been sprayed with non stick spray) on the sides place the caps of the peppers with stem upward.
- Place in pre-heated 350 degrees and bake for about 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven.
- Enjoy
Opting for ground turkey instead of beef lowers the saturated fat content while altering the final richness, demanding careful seasoning adjustment since leaner proteins dry out faster during the 40-minute baking time at 350 degrees. Selecting sturdy, upright caps ensures the cavity remains secure while heat circulates through the 9x13 pan. The food processor becomes an essential tool here, though pulse control prevents the aromatic vegetables from turning into a watery puree that ruins the structural integrity of the filling.
Passing the carrot, celery, and onion through a metal blade requires precise short bursts to achieve a uniform mince without liquefying the cell walls. Mixing the cooked rice by hand preserves grain definition so the internal texture remains light rather than dense and compact. Combining ground meat with chicken bouillon granules and dried red pepper flakes creates an immediate umami and heat foundation that distributes evenly throughout the protein matrix during the binding phase with the egg.
Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers yield a sweeter profile due to higher natural sugar concentrations developed during ripening compared to green varieties. Baking the reserved pepper tops alongside the main vessels utilizes the thermal radiation of the oven efficiently while keeping the presentation traditional. Uncooked quick rice absorbs excess moisture released by the vegetables during baking, whereas pre-cooked grains require precise moisture balancing to prevent a soggy crumb.
