How to Make Stuffed Peppers

The bell pepper is a vegetable ready-made for stuffing. The stuffing here is a well-seasoned paella-style rice pilaf, but you can use many different kinds of stuffing. This recipe makes four stuffed peppers.

Things You'll Need

• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 medium onion
• 2 small tomatoes
• 1/3 tsp. turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 4 red or green bell peppers
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 3 c. chicken stock
• 1 ear fresh or frozen corn
• 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
• 1 c. long-grain rice
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• Groceries
• Chef's Knives
• Baking Dishes
• Mixing Bowls
• Wooden Spoons
• Mixing bowls
• sauté pans

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan or sauté pan over medium heat.

2. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the garlic and stir it in well.

4. Add all the dry spices and continue cooking until the onion is soft - another minute or so.

5. Add the tomato, cook another minute, then add the rice and stir everything together.

6. Add the stock and bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, then cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

7. Taste the cooking liquid and add a minimum of salt, if necessary. If you're using canned chicken broth, you won't need to add any salt.

8. Add the corn and cook, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes more or until the rice is just becoming tender. Some liquid should still be in the pan.

9. While the rice cooks, heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

10. Cut the tops off the bell peppers, scoop out the seed pods, and reserve.

11. Lightly grease a baking dish and prepare an aluminum foil cover.

12. When the rice is almost fully cooked, scoop the mixture into each bell pepper.

13. Place the peppers in the baking dish, cover, and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes.

14. Test for doneness by poking the peppers with a thin knife; they should be completely tender. Taste some rice, too. The rice will absorb moisture as it bakes inside the pepper and will become very tender.

Tips & Warnings

• Other stuffing mixtures include ground beef and onions or Italian sausage and tomatoes. Stuff the peppers with the raw meat and cook for up to an hour or until the stuffing's internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

• For vegetable stuffings like ratatouille, cook the stuffing completely and parboil the empty peppers in lots of water with a few teaspoons of sugar and a splash of vinegar. This will help tenderize the peppers. Then stuff and bake them.

• For truly excellent stuffed peppers, see the Related eHow on roasting peppers. Roast them whole and try your best to skin them without breaking the flesh, then stuff the roasted peppers with precooked stuffing.