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Bell Peppers: Stuffed & Unstuffed

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A lightened version of the classic, with a filling so good you might want to rethink how you use it!

Ingredients

  • 4-6 bell peppers use any color – green, yellow, red, orange

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 lb ground turkey - feel free to use sausage (spicy would be great if you like heat), pork, chicken, or beef

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 1 jalapeno pepper chopped, optional, if you want spice, OR 1 teaspoon jalapeno paste (available in tubes) if you don't have or keep jalapenos at home

  • 5 cloves garlic chopped

  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) of fire roasted tomatoes (substitute a can of regular diced tomatoes if you want to avoid spice)

  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese -- you can use mozzarella, colby, or pepperjack instead or mixed with the cheddar.

  • 1 tablespoon paprika

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon dried basil

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • 1 cup cooked rice (or, I assume, any other cooked grain like barley or quinoa) -- whatever you have on hand -- white, brown, or other

Preparation

Prepare the peppers for stuffing:

  • Wash the bell peppers, cut off the tops, and scoop out the insides. If needed, slice a small part off the bottom of the peppers so they will stand upright. (NOTE: Chop and set aside the bell pepper tops (and bottoms if you have them) to cook later with the onion.)

    • Steam them (my preference): Either on the stovetop in a steaming basket, or in a microwave. In a pot, add water under steaming basket and bring to boil, then add peppers and cover. In the microwave, add water to bottom of microwave-safe dish, add peppers and cover. Cook until the peppers are softened (about 5 minutes on stovetop, and a little less in microwave, but that depend son your microwave).

    • Parboil them: preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and bring a pot of water (enough to cover the bell peppers) to a boil. Blanch the bell peppers for 5 minutes to slightly soften.

    • Roast them: roast the peppers for 20 minutes to soften in a 425 degree oven.

  • Set the softened peppers into a lightly oiled baking dish.


Prepare filling:

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat and add the onions, chopped pepper pieces, and jalapeno (if using). Cook for 5 minutes to soften.

    1. If only making filling, use 2 chopped-up peppers

  2. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant (about 1 minute).

  3. Add the ground meat and cook 5-6 minutes, breaking up clumps, until cooked through. (I like using a meat masher for this task)

  4. Add the can of tomatoes, all the seasonings, and cooked rice. Stir together and remove from heat.

  5. Stir in half of the shredded cheese until incorporated if you are stuffing the peppers. (If you are NOT stuffing the peppers, add all the cheese now.)

  6. Stuff each pepper with the meat filling mixture, then top each with the remaining shredded cheese.

  7. Roast the stuffed peppers for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees, or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is nice and bubbly.

  8. Cool slightly then serve.


This filling is great under fried eggs, as a burrito filling, on top of nachos (add even more cheese to melt on top of it if you're going to make nachos!), or on its own.

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