Stuffed peppers are a special part of our hearts. This versatile vegetable is a favorite of ours to experiment with, from cheesesteak-stuffed peppers to veggie stuffed peppers. Peppers are strong enough to hold their shape and can take a variety flavors. They’re also large enough to hold a lot of fillings.
This classic recipe is however hard to beat in my book. These are filled with beefy tomato rice, shredded Monterey Jack cheese and other ingredients. You can also customize the recipe to suit your tastes (and what you have in your fridge). You can swap out the ground beef with another type of ground protein, such as pork, turkey, chicken or even Italian sausage! Add any melty cheese that you prefer.
YIELDS: 6 serving(s)
PREP TIME: 10 mins
TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 20 mins
Ingredients
1/2 c. uncooked rice
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp. tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 bell peppers, tops and cores removed
1 c. shredded Monterey jack
Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. In a small saucepan, prepare rice according to package instructions. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Cook onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 6 minutes. Drain fat.
Return beef mixture to skillet, then stir in cooked rice and diced tomatoes. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Let simmer until liquid has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes.
Place peppers cut side-up in a 9″-x-13″ baking dish and drizzle with oil. Spoon beef mixture into each pepper and top with Monterey jack, then cover baking dish with foil.
Bake until peppers are tender, about 35 minutes. Uncover and bake until cheese is bubbly, 10 minutes more.
Step 5Garnish with parsley before serving.