It’s getting to be that time of year again. Every Fall we are rewarded with the bright colors and flavors of the bell pepper harvest. And of course, a bell pepper can only be made better by stuffing it with a mound of tasty morsels! There are so many ways to prepare stuffed peppers. This is our lazy way.
Start by hollowing out your peppers and boiling them in a bit of water to steam them for a few minutes while you chop and prepare everything else.
Mix all of your ingredients in a bowl and loosely stuff each pepper to the brim. Bake until the meat is cooked through.
Finish these by broiling cheese on the tops and eating them with a bit of ketchup (if you’re into that sort of thing …think meatloaf people!). You can also cut each cooked pepper lengthwise, lay them flat, filling-side up, and add the cheese at that point. You’ll get more cheesy surface area that way. Again, we were feeling lazy and didn’t bother this time around.
Try a healthier version of this recipe by substituting millet or quinoa for the rice or ground turkey for the ground beef. For a vegetarian option, and cooked mushrooms and/or pinto beans and corn instead of meat.
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers (any color you like)
- 1 - 1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 3/4 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 egg
- 1 (15-ounce) can Italian stewed tomatoes
- 6 large fresh basil leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 8-ounces shredded cheese (we used cheddar and pepper jack)
- olive oil
Directions
- If you haven't made the rice, start cooking the rice following the package instructions.
- Cut off the tops of the peppers, remove and discard the stem and seeds. Place bell peppers cut side up in a large pot with about two inches of water in it. Bring to a boil, cover and lower to a simmer. Steam for 10 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together the meat, onion, cooked rice, egg, tomatoes, basil, seasonings, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Remove steamed bell peppers from the pot. Place cut side up in an oven-proof casserole or cast-iron pan. Gently stuff the peppers with the beef mixture. Drizzle olive oil over the stuffed peppers, along the outside of the peppers, and into the pan. Rub oil all over the outside of the peppers to help them brown.
- Place on the middle rack and bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through.
- Add cheese to the tops of the whole peppers or cut the cooked peppers in half length-wise and add cheese to each of those halves. Bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with ketchup.
Notes
Make ahead: You can prep these stuffed peppers to the point before you bake them. Keep them in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When you're ready for them, pull them out of the fridge while your oven preheats, then bake normally.
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2 Responses to Easy Cheesy Stuffed Peppers {Vegetarian}
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Hello! My name is Nicole. I'm a blogger, a sports fan and a bacon activist. When I'm not making a huge mess in the kitchen, I am leaving my mark outside or gaming with my Mister. Read more...
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MmMM. I’ll have to try this. I have used bell peppers to hold my eggs a couple of times recently and it has worked fantastic (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AgunpD24shc/T8sBPxYReuI/AAAAAAAABaU/chXpq903Q18/s1600/IMG_3467.JPG). Who knew bell peppers could be such fantastic receptacles!?!
That’s a good idea too! I’ll have to try that. I usually bake my eggs in avocado halves if anything.