Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipe

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ree Drummond's beloved recipe serves up a satisfying, warming and economical option for a relaxed weeknight meal.

• Level: Easy
• Yield: 4 to 6 servings
• Nutritional Analysis Per Serving Calories 323 Total Fat 22 grams Saturated Fat 8 grams Cholesterol 50 milligrams Sodium 287 milligrams Carbohydrates 18 grams Dietary Fiber 3 grams Protein 17 grams Sugar 6 grams
• Total: 1 hr 35 min
• Active: 45 min

Loaded with ground meat, fresh vegetables, grains and cheese, stuffed bell peppers represent a time-honored comfort food option that won't break the bank. These peppers offer incredible flexibility, accommodating various flavor profiles and components, making them suitable for vegetarian and vegan adaptations. In her version of this classic dish, Ree selects a selection of bell peppers and stuffs them with seasoned ground beef, fragrant aromatics, a combination of rice varieties and pepperjack cheese. Through Ree's approach, you'll discover the proper technique for preparing bell peppers for stuffing, the essential components that deliver outstanding flavor in the filling and Ree's helpful method to guarantee uniformly cooked, beautifully tender stuffed peppers that maintain their integrity.

Mastering Stuffed Bell Peppers

Getting your bell peppers ready for stuffing. Remove the caps from the peppers and eliminate the seeds and interior membrane to create maximum capacity for your filling. Ree chooses not to pre-bake the peppers, preserving their shape as they bake.

Avoid overdoing the ground beef. Ree prepares lean ground beef until it reaches the cooked stage and starts to get some color. This guarantees the beef stays moist when your peppers roast in the oven.

Develop layers of taste in your filling. Ree sauts the chopped pepper caps, minced onions and zucchini, crushed garlic, tomato dice with seeds removed and a couple sprinkles of red pepper flakes to construct a richly seasoned combination of vegetables for the mixture. She incorporates a pair of rice options: fluffy long-grain rice and nutty-flavored wild rice for depth.

Prevent your peppers from leaning. Pick a baking vessel that's appropriately sized to keep your peppers standing straight (with the cut side facing up) so they remain upright.

Cook your peppers with steam for uniform results. Insert a modest quantity of water at the bottom of your baking vessel and secure with foil covering. This moisture creates a steaming environment and supports pepper cooking, eliminating the requirement to boil or partially cook the bell peppers beforehand.

Cooking Duration for Stuffed Bell Peppers

Prepare your stuffed bell peppers in a 350-degree F oven for roughly 45 minutes total duration. Initially, position the stuffed peppers in a foil-wrapped baking dish for 30 minutes, then continue cooking uncovered for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Your peppers reach completion when they become tender and the cheese is softened with a light golden hue.

Ideal Accompaniments for Stuffed Bell Peppers

While stuffed bell peppers create a complete, satisfying dinner independently, they pair wonderfully with uncomplicated side options including garlic-infused bread, cornbread preparations and fresh greens. Consider pairing with Ree's Garlic Cheese Bread, Skillet Cornbread or Killer Kale Salad. Stuffed bell peppers also coordinate nicely with comforting vegetable accompaniments such as Roasted Green Vegetable Medley, Roasted Sprouts and Onions or Sweet Roasted Rosemary Acorn Squash Wedges.

Advance Preparation of Stuffed Bell Peppers

These peppers make a convenient weeknight option, yet you have the option to organize the ingredients beforehand and refrigerate them for speedier preparation:

• Ready your peppers: remove the caps and clear out the seeds and interior parts, then keep them in a sealed plastic bag.
• Assemble your filling: brown the ground beef along with aromatics, vegetables and flavorings, then let the mixture reach room temperature and transfer to an airtight storage container. Prepare the rice, allow it to cool down, then store it in an airtight storage container.
• Grate your cheese: then place into a sealed plastic bag.

When dinner preparation time arrives, arrange your peppers with the cut side upward in a baking vessel, merge the beef-vegetable blend with your prepared rice and cheese to form the filling, load each pepper with the filling, garnish with additional cheese and roast.

Ingredients

• 6 bell peppers, assorted colors
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, additional for finishing
• 8 ounces lean ground beef
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1 onion, minced fine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium zucchini, minced fine
• 4 Roma tomatoes, cleared of seeds and diced fine
• Red pepper flakes, to preference
• 1 cup cooked combination of long-grain and wild rice
• 1 1/2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese

Instructions

1. Set your oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
2. Slice the pepper tops away. Discard the stems after removal, then mince the pepper tops finely; set to the side. Extract the seeds and as much inner membrane as feasible. Position your peppers with the cut surface facing up in a baking container appropriately measured to support them standing vertically.
3. Warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a wide skillet on medium-high temperature. Introduce the beef, season with salt and pepper and saut, crumbling as it cooks, until the meat is finished cooking and begins to color, roughly 8 to 10 minutes. Move to a towel-lined dish to eliminate excess grease.
4. Empty the skillet and pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix in the onions and minced peppers and continue cooking until they start to break down, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Put in the garlic and zucchini and continue cooking for one more minute. Mix in the tomatoes and flavor with salt and one or two dashes of red pepper flakes. Let simmer until all ingredients are warmed, then combine the beef and rice. Review and modify flavors as needed. Blend in 1 cup of the cheese.
5. Stuff your peppers with the rice filling and crown each with a portion of the leftover 1/2 cup cheese. Insert a modest quantity of water into the bottom of your baking container and coat the peppers with a touch of olive oil. Wrap with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Take off the foil and continue roasting until the peppers are tender and the cheese is liquid and gently golden, around 15 to 20 minutes longer.