Stuffed Peppers

I was a pretty picky eater as a child, especially about any type of meat. However, even in my pickiness, my mom made a few meat-centered meals that I absolutely LOVED, and still do now — especially American Chop Suey, Homemade Meatballs with Pasta, and Stuffed Peppers. Two of those three meals I’ve already put my own spin on and blogged about, so I figured it was time to do the same for stuffed peppers! After experimenting/recipe-testing with different versions over the last few months, I have settled on what I think are the perfect stuffed peppers. =)

My version is actually fairly similar to what we ate growing up, just with a little more pizzaz. =) First, I take bright, fresh bell peppers, halve them + par-boil them. Then, I make an amazingly-flavorful homemade seasoned tomato rice. Then, I saute up a mixture of onions, ground beef, tomatoes, and spices. Finally, I combine the rice + meat mixture, stuff it generously in those pepper halves, drizzle with tomato sauce, + bake until browned + pipin’ hot. The result? Seriously, the BEST stuffed peppers I have ever had, bursting with tons of flavor + depth. This recipe serves 4-6, but is easily doubled or tripled, if you’re serving a crowd. And if you have leftovers, no problemo – these heat up wonderfully straight from the fridge + freeze great for future meals, too!

Stuffed Peppers {With Beef + Tomato Rice}

serves 4-6, a Fearless Homemaker original recipe

Ingredients

For the rice:
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
1/2 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/3 c. tomato sauce
3/4 cup chicken broth

For the peppers and beef mixture:
4 large bell peppers (any color will work)
1 onion, diced
1 lb. ground beef (I like an 80/20 blend)
1 15 oz can tomato sauce, divided
1 14.5 oz can italian-seasoned diced tomatoes, undrained (I like Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano, but there are a bunch of different brands)

Directions

1) First, you’ll make the homemade tomato rice. If you prefer, to save time, you can substitute 1 cup cooked/leftover rice (any flavor of your choosing). But it’s reeeally good with the tomato rice, and worth the time! =) If you’re using already-cooked/leftover rice, you can skip to step 3.

2) Make the rice: Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice + stir occasionally until rice begins to lightly brown. Add the garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder, + paprika to the rice, + stir until well-combined, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, + chicken broth. Bring the mix to a boil then turn the heat to low, cover + simmer for 20 – 25 minutes, until the rice is cooked through + the the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat + fluff with a fork.

3) Prepare your peppers: Cut each pepper in half, lengthwise. Remove seeds + membranes; rinse peppers (I usually leave the stem attached, as I think it makes a nice presentation). Bring a large pot of water to a boil (just add enough enough water to cover peppers). Once boiling, add peppers to the water. Cook for about 3 minutes, then remove from the boiling water + set aside.

4) Prepare the beef: Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Then, add in the beef, and cook, breaking up the meat and stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain off any fat. Stir in the cooked rice, diced tomatoes and 1 cup of the tomato sauce; cook for just 2-3 minutes until everything is hot.

5) Heat oven to 350°F.

6) Equally stuff the pepper halves with the beef/rice mixture (all mixture will be used up between the eight halves). Lay peppers evenly in a 9×13 baking dish (as pictured above). Pour the remaining tomato sauce around the peppers + drizzle on top of peppers.

7) Cover with foil, and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for about 15 minutes longer, until peppers are tender, and tops are slightly browned + a bit crispy.

8) Serve hot + enjoy!

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