How to Make Stuffed Peppers with Rice

Use a colorful pepper to brighten up the table.

Stuffed peppers are a fun dish to make and make an attractive plate. While you can stuff peppers with a variety of fillings, rice is an option if you are serving vegan or vegetarian guests. If you are using canned or jarred tomato sauce, check that it's also vegan or vegetarian appropriate. Create this dish when you have time to prepare the rice and set the dish to bake. If you're running low on time, break up the recipe. Prepare the rice and use it later to stuff and bake the peppers. Does this Spark an idea?

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2 cups rice
4 to 6 bell peppers
1 jar tomato sauce, or 2 1/2 cups homemade sauce
2 1/2 cups water, plus 2 cups of water divided
Baking dish
Foil
5 cloves garlic
1 small onion
Olive oil
Saute pan
Rice pot
Garlic powder

Instructions

Prepare the Rice
- 1
  
  Coat the bottom of a rice pot with olive oil. Pour in the rice.
- 2
  
  Sprinkle garlic powder over the rice. Stir the rice with a wooden spoon to evenly coat the rice in oil and garlic powder.
- 3
  
  Pour in 2 cups of water when the rice becomes glossy and translucent. Stir thoroughly.
- 4
  
  Let the water cook out. Instead of letting the water boil down to the level of the rice, cook it until you don't see it anymore. At that point, reduce the heat, stir one last time and cover the pot for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat off and let it sit. The goal is to make the rice slightly undercooked, as it will continue to cook inside the peppers later.
Prepare the Peppers
- 5
  
  Slice the tops off of each pepper. Remove the seeds from both the top and bottom halves. Rinse clean and set aside both the tops and bottoms. Mince the garlic and dice the onion.
- 6
  
  Pour the tomato sauce into a baking dish with the remaining water. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Set the dish aside.
- 7
  
  Preheat thee oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 8
  
  Cover the bottom of a saute pan with olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. When the garlic is fragrant and the onion shiny, pour in the rice mixture.
- 9
  
  Spoon the rice mixture the peppers, filling about two-thirds full. Don't overstuff the peppers as the rice expands as it continues to cook.
- 10
  
  Replace the top of the pepper and place them in the baking dish with the sauce. Cover with foil and bake for one hour. The dish is ready when the rice is cooked and the peppers are soft.
- 11
  
  Let the peppers stand for five minutes, uncovered, before serving. Serve with sauce ladled on top of the pepper.

Tips & Warnings

you can spoon in a couple of spoonfuls of sauce in to the rice mix
other herbs & spices can be added to the rice mix, just stir in it in to the saute pan as you are sweating the onions & garlic