One well-made Stuffed Bell Pepper is a complete, satisfying and surprisingly healthful meal. Use brown rice for added nutrition.
Print
Ingredients
-
4 large or 6 medium red and/or green bell peppers
-
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
-
1 clove garlic, minced
-
1 pound very lean ground beef or ground round
-
1-1/2 cups cooked white or brown rice
-
1 cup canned, chopped tomatoes, drained
-
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped (about 2/3 cup)
-
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried oregano, depending upon taste
-
1 teaspoon salt
-
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
-
1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat.
- Meanwhile, cut the tops off the peppers 1 inch from the stem and remove the seeds.
- Carefully cut a thin slice off the bottom of each pepper, not cutting all the way through the pepper, so that each pepper sits flat.
- Add a few generous pinches of salt to the boiling water, then add the peppers and boil, using a long-handled wooden spoon to keep peppers completely submerged.
- Boil about 3 minutes. Peppers will be a brilliant green or red, and flesh will be slightly softened.
- Drain peppers well and set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, mix the beef, rice, tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Mix well (I have always used my hands for this job), and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook one minute more.
- Remove skillet from the heat, and add the meat mixture, combining well with the onions.
- Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil inside the peppers.
- Arrange the peppers, right side up, in a baking dish large enough to accommodate the peppers, but not too large.
- Stuff each pepper with an equal amount of the meat mixture.
- Add 1/4 cup water to the baking dish.
- Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes or longer if peppers are very large.
- Internal temperature of peppers should be 150°F to 160°F when done.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature.
Recipe Card powered by