Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers are a delicious dish made by filling bell peppers with a savory mixture and baking them until tender. Start by selecting fresh bell peppers of your choice. Red, yellow, and orange peppers are my choice, each offering a slightly different flavor and sweetness. Green peppers are fine to use but I find they have a bitter taste. The peppers are typically medium to large in size, with a hollow interior and a firm, crisp texture. Par cook the peppers before stuffing, so the peppers cook all the way through. Roast the peppers in the oven opposed to boiling them before stuffing. Roasting enhances their flavor. These stuffed peppers use simple ingredients and are packed full of flavor. They are delicious served with a fresh baked loaf of my No Knead Bread or French Bread.
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How to Roast Peppers For Stuffing
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Choose firm and fresh bell peppers. You can use any color you like or a combination for a colorful presentation.
Wash the peppers thoroughly and pat them dry with a paper towel.
Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. You can do this by carefully slicing around the stem and then using your fingers or a spoon to scoop out the seeds and membranes. Be careful not to cut through the sides of the peppers.
Lightly brush the outside of the peppers with olive oil. This will help them roast evenly and develop a nice char.
Season the outside of the peppers with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
Line a baking sheet or roasting pan with aluminum foil. This will make cleanup easier and prevent the peppers from sticking to the pan.
Place the prepared peppers on the foil-lined baking sheet, standing upright with the open ends facing up.
Roast the peppers in the preheated oven for 10 – 15 minutes, or until they start to blister and char on the outside. You can also turn them halfway through the roasting time for even cooking.
Keep a close eye on the peppers to prevent them from burning. They should become slightly tender and have a slightly charred, blistered appearance.
Once the peppers are roasted to your liking, remove them from the oven. Use tongs to transfer them to a plate or cutting board. Be careful, as they will be hot.
You can use the roasted peppers immediately for stuffing while they are still warm or let them cool down if you plan to stuff them later.
The Filling
The filling usually consists of a ground meat mixture. You can also get creative here and fill them with spinach and feta cheese. Yum. Or a taco filling is also delicious.
The filling for these stuffed peppers is very simple but packed with flavor.
- Ground meat (beef, turkey, or chicken)
- Finely chopped onions and garlic add flavor to the filling.
- Breadcrumbs and eggs help bind it all together.
- Rice adds texture although I often do not add the rice.
- Worcestershire sauce adds a depth of flavor
- 1/4 cup of tomato sauce or ketchup
- 2 Tbsp milk
- parmesan cheese
- Italian seasoning, fresh parsley, salt and pepper
- Shredded mozzarella
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
How to make stuffed peppers
Wash the bell peppers and cut in 1/2 lengthwise. Hollow out by removing the seeds and membranes from the interior. Roast or par boil your peppers, just until barely fork tender. Stuff the peppers generously with the filling mixture and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Place in a baking dish and bake in the oven until the peppers are tender and the filling is cooked through. The baking time can vary depending on the size and thickness of the peppers but typically ranges from 30 to 45 minutes at a moderate temperature, around 375 degrees.
Apparel for the foodies & grillers
Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 2 large bell peppers yellow, orange, red
- 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey or chicken
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
- 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
- 1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce or ketchup
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- freshly grated parmesan optional for topping
- 1 cup cooked rice optional
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 Tbsp olive oil for drizzling peppers and sautéing onions
Instructions
- preheat oven to 375℉. Cut peppers lengthwise in 1/2 and remove seeds and membranes. Wash thoroughly. Pat peppers dry and place cut side up on cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in oven and roast for about 20 minutes or until just tender.
- While peppers are roasting, drizzle bottom of skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté onions until translucent add minced garlic and cook a few minutes.
- In a large bowl combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, cooked rice (if using) salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
- Remove peppers from oven and fill each pepper with the filling. Top with mozzarella cheese.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350℉ and bake the peppers for 30 minutes or until beef is cooked through. Remove from oven and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
