How to Make Stuffed Green Peppers

Stuff meat, rice, cheese and other ingredients in a pepper.

Stuffed green papers take few ingredients, minimal preparation time and about an hour to bake. In the end, you have a quick and tasty meal that uses ingredients you probably had lying around the house. You can mix, match, take out and substitute other ingredients to find your favorite combination.

Things You'll Need

• 4-6 green bell peppers
• Large pot
• Chef's knife
• Strainer
• Olive oil
• 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 1/2 cups rice, cooked
• 1 cup tomatoes, finely chopped
• Salt
• Pepper
• Seasonings (optional)
• Sauces (optional)
• Baking dish

Instructions

1. Fill a large pot with water. Add a few generous pinches of salt to water. Bring to a boil over high heat.

2. Cut off the tops of each bell pepper completely. Dig out the insides and seeds. Throw away insides.

3. Add peppers to boiling water until the flesh is slightly soft. When done, the color of the skin will brighten. This takes about two to four minutes. Put peppers in a strainer to let dry and cool.

4. Preheat oven at 350 F. Add olive oil to a skillet on high heat. Add finely chopped onions, stirring consistently as they cook for four or five minutes until translucent. Stir in garlic for one to two minutes.

5. Add meat, rice and tomatoes, plus whatever unique ingredients you'd like to add, in a large bowl. Spice with pepper, salt and other seasonings to taste. Mix with your hands until ingredients are well blended. Wash your hands with warm soap and water after touching raw meat.

6. Drizzle olive oil lightly on the inside of each pepper. Stuff peppers with meat, rice and vegetable filling until it just barely reaches over the top. Add sauces, such as ketchup, Worcestershire or barbecue sauce over the filling if desired.

7. Add 1/4 cup of water in a baking dish. Place peppers upright in baking dish, submerged halfway in water. Place in oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes. If your peppers are bigger or stuffed with more meat, the cooking time will increase. Serve and eat immediately.

Tips & Warnings

• All types of meat, vegetables, cheese, rices and fillings can be put in different combinations for a bell pepper stuffing. Experiment with meats and ingredients you think pair well together. Experiment with different sauce toppings as well.

References

• All Recipes: Stuffed Green Peppers
• Simply Recipes: Dad's Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Food Network: Stuffed Green Peppers with Tomato Sauce