Classic Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are a simple homey meal that satisfies.

Whenever I crave comfort food, my thoughts turn to stuffed peppers. They are delicious, pleasing to the eye and also economical.  The heavenly aroma of stuffed peppers wafting through the house is sure to whet the appetite and elicit cries of "Is it ready yet?" by hungry family members and friends alike. 

Stuffed peppers freeze well and are easy to make, especially if you have some leftover rice from another meal.  Best of all, stuffed peppers are versatile!  The filling can be made with any ground meat, even chorizo or Italian sausage.  The rice can be white, brown or seasoned.  Some combinations that come to mind are chorizo and spanish rice or Italian sausage and tomato basil rice. Once you decide on the filling, you can vary the kind of peppers, too.  One of the prettiest dishes that I made for a buffet table was multi-colored peppers in varied shades of green, red, purple, yellow and orange.  You aren't limited to peppers, either.  Stuffed onions, stuffed tomatoes, stuffed zucchini all work well in this recipe.

Here, I made the basic green pepper, using a stuffing mix of 85% ground beef and brown rice.  I hope this recipe gets you thinking about making stuffed peppers soon.



Classic Stuffed Peppers  (serves four)

1 lb 85% lean ground beef
2 c cooked brown rice
1/2 c sauteed yellow onions
1 T granulated garlic
1 T granulated onion
2 T sweet Hungarian paprika
1 t kosher salt
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1 c crushed tomatoes
6 T ketchup
4 large green peppers or 8 small peppers

Wash peppers and slice off tops (to create little "hats" for your stuffed peppers) and remove seeds and core.  Set aside.
Mix ketchup into crushed tomatoes.
In a large bowl, combine rest of ingredients and add 1/4 of the tomato mixture.
Mix gently.
Fill peppers with stuffing mixture and place stuffed pepper into a dutch oven or covered roasting pan.
Pour most of the remainder of tomato mixture over peppers while they are uncovered, then cover peppers with their "hats" and pour rest of tomato mixture over them.
Cover tightly and place in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or simmer on stovetop over low heat for 1.5 hours.
Remove from heat and serve.