Stuffed Peppers

Bell peppers are special. Technically a fruit, these little guys give the crunch of a hot pepper without the bite. They're an essential part of many dishes, from fajitas to cheesesteaks (if you ask me, anyway). 

Stuffed peppers are a rather popular use of them, and a dish I grew up with. I hadn't made it in ages, though, so was overdue. You can go many a route in stuffed peppers, but the typical one I experienced often had ground beef and rice with a tomato sauce as the filling. My grandmother always used tomato soup, and while I've done that in the past, I decided to try and take this up a notch this go around.

Prep work is easy. Ground some beef, add some cooked rice, mix in some tomato items, and fill some empty peppers. For the sauce, I normally would have used a can of tomato sauce, but as I was fresh out, I went with some tomato paste and a bit of water (to dilute it; tomato paste is appropriately named). I also added a can of stewed tomatoes (hello, flavor) and some herbs. I don't keep this parsley plant alive for nothing. I did everything in a big skillet, then began stuffing the peppers.

I baked it for about 20 minutes, then sprinkled some cheese on top. I decided to do shredded Monterey jack on some and feta on others because Greeks just can't help themselves with the feta, but really any cheese will do. 

Then I just let them cook long enough to melt the cheese. I like a crunchy pepper, so this was plenty of cook time. If you like a mushier texture, they can certainly bake longer.

It had been so long that I actually forgot how much I enjoyed these bad boys. Farewell to the boring version I recalled: the parsley and cheese really made this feel like a flavorful and filling meal. And best yet, the easy to transport into a Tupperware size makes it a gnarly lunch choice. Am I doing well at selling this?

The bottom line is that you can literally throw food into a pepper, bake it, and land a full meal. Which got me thinking: chili as filling? Tacos??? Many moons ago, I made chicken Philly stuffed peppers, but hadn't thought of them in years. Get ready, I may be on to something.

Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Ingredients:

6 bell peppers
1 pound lean ground beef

2 cups cooked rice (I used white, but you can use brown rice or even quinoa)

1 can tomato paste (6 ounces)

1/4 cup water

1 can stewed tomatoes (or diced tomatoes) (6 ounces)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley (set aside 1 teaspoon to top peppers with)

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Brown ground beef in a pan, chopping while it cooks to create crumbles. Cook rice separately, then lower heat on pan with the beef and mix rice into cooked meat. Add tomato paste and stewed tomatoes (if tomatoes are large chunks, use a sharp knife to cut them more finely in the can before stirring in) and water, then stir in seasonings. Stir until well combined, then heat on medium-low for about 5 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds and rinse with water. Cut peppers into halves if desired for smaller portions. Place peppers in a baking pan and fill with meat mixture. Bake peppers for about 20 minutes, then top with cheese and remaining chopped parsley. Return to oven and cook for about 10 more minutes (longer for softer peppers). Serve warm.