Stuffed Peppers
At the end of August when I slowly start to harvest my Garden, I like to make my “annual” favorites like Pesto 8 Ways – Part One and Pesto 8 Ways – Part Two, Mint Jelly, Tomato Soup, Basil Lemon Butter, Garden Vegetable Juice, as well as Minestrone Soup, Sweet & Savory Homemade Ketchup, Bread & Butter Pickles, Tomato Rosemary Focaccia, Vegetable Medley, Lemon Rosemary Madeleines, and many others including this one… Stuffed Peppers!
This is an incredible dish but first let me be frank here! My mother made some, my aunts and grandmothers made some, I had some at friends’ places and it was “BLAH”. The stuffing mixture was boring, nothing to appeal to my taste buds. One day, I told my husband that we should try make some. He had the same reaction as me… – Really? It’s so boring! My answer to him was –“Exactly! That’s my point! Let’s revive and improve the dish…”
These Stuffed Peppers are far from being boring! The combination of ingredients blends so well together. I use two kinds of meat; ground beef and my homemade ground Hot Italian Sausage. Just these added meats alone make it much better but I didn’t stop there, no, no, no! I also add fire roasted diced tomatoes plus a bunch of fresh herbs, seasonings and a couple of different cheeses.
There’s another ingredient that I make during this time of year and it’s my Classic Marinara Sauce. This sauce is incredibly delicious and that is what I use to spread at the bottom of my dish and later to spoon over my cooked Stuffed Peppers. Here’s the link for this tasty recipe… Classic Marinara Sauce
This dish is not your grandma’s or your mom’s recipe. It has a ton of flavor! These Stuffed Peppers are a mouthwatering comfort food that you and your family will really enjoy. It’s a great dish to use up your harvested herbs and produce.
Bon Appétit!
Check out these other great comfort food recipes…
– Corn Chowder
– Hamburger Helper Copycat
– Mac and Cheese
– Beef Meatloaf
– Turkey Chili Tex-Mex Style
– BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza
– Shepherd’s Pie
and for even more pork recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Pork
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Stuffed Peppers
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups marinara sauce see Recipe
- 8 large mixed color bell peppers, tops cut off, ribs removed and seeded
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil tips & tricks
- 1 1/2 cups white onions, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped tips & tricks
- 1 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt, or to taste and divided
- 6 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 lb. (500 g) lean ground beef
- 1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage see Recipe
- 1 can (14 oz.) fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 1/4 cups cooked long grain rice such as basmati (3/4 cup uncooked rice in 1 1/2 cups water)
- 1 3/4 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated and divided
- 1 1/2 tbsp. basil leaves, chopped tips & tricks
- 1 tbsp. oregano leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley, plus more for garnish tips & tricks
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated tips & tricks
- 1 tsp. mild paprika, or as needed
Directions
- In a 9x13 baking dish, spread marinara sauce; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Prep the bell peppers and set the tops aside for other recipes. Cut the bottoms flat if the peppers are not sitting straight; set aside.
- Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl; rest for 5 minutes. Add ground beef, hot Italian sausage, diced tomatoes, cooked rice, 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, basil leaves, oregano, parsley, 2 generous pinches salt and freshly ground black pepper; mix the ingredients very well. To test the seasoning, form a small patty and cook; adjust if necessary.
- Stuff the peppers and place them in the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, add the remaining ¾ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and Mozzarella cheese; stir well. Spread topping over the stuffed peppers and sprinkle with paprika.
- Lightly grease some foil and cover the peppers, forming a tent to prevent the foil from touching the cheese topping.
- Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the peppers are soft (test with a pointy knife) and the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the heat and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving; sprinkle parsley on top.
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