Stuffed Bell Peppers have been an enormous favourite of mine since my aunt first made them for me many a few years in the past. On the time it appeared like such an elaborate, fancy recipe, however who knew they had been actually this easy to make! It’s a traditional consolation meals recipe that’s hearty, filling, simple to customise, and may feed a big household. Plus the flavors on this model are extremely scrumptious! A lot in order that we’re nonetheless speaking about it over a month later! 😉
What’s in Stuffed Bell Peppers?
There are a number of variations of stuffed bell peppers on the market and most normally embrace floor beef, rice, tomatoes, and cheese. I obtained just a little artistic with this recipe as I needed it to be easy to make, however nonetheless have tons of taste! Right here’s what you’ll want:
- Bell Peppers: I used completely different colours of bell peppers as a result of I like how colourful and vibrant they appear, however should you’re working with a decent price range you’ll be able to definitely simply use all inexperienced bell peppers as a substitute.
- Italian Sausage: Italian sausage as a substitute of floor beef for an additional enhance of taste. However you need to use floor beef, floor turkey and even Italian turkey sausage should you like.
- Onion and garlic: These two elements produce an amazing mixture of aromatics to assist taste the sausage and rice.
- Seasoning: A easy mixture of Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder is all you’ll want. In order for you an additional kick, you may also add a pinch of pink pepper flakes too!
- Marinara sauce: As a substitute of including a can of tomatoes or tomato sauce, I used marinara sauce. It’s tomatoes with additional herbs & spices multi functional…aka extra taste!
- Lengthy grain white rice: The rice helps bulk up the filling for the bell peppers. On this recipe the rice is cooked in the identical skillet because the meat filling. It offers the rice a ton of taste and let’s be sincere…who desires to wash extra dishes by cooking a separate pot of rice? Not me!
- Rooster broth: Broth is used to assist cook dinner the rice and it supplies much more taste in fact!
- Shredded Mozzarella: And mozzarella cheese sprinkled on high for a gooey, tasty end!
Ought to I cook dinner the bell peppers first?
I undoubtedly recommend par-cooking the bell peppers first, just a bit bit earlier than stuffing them. Not solely does this assist to melt the bell peppers, nevertheless it additionally cuts down in your cook dinner time. Because the bell peppers are cooking you can also make the filling, shaving off about 20 minutes out of your complete cook dinner time.
Listed here are a number of ideas that will help you stretch your cash when making Stuffed Bell Peppers:
- Use the inexperienced bell peppers! Though it makes for a colourful remaining dish while you use pink, yellow or orange bell peppers, these colours usually price just a little bit extra. You’ll be able to simply purchase all inexperienced bell peppers as a substitute and avoid wasting cash.
- Reduce a 4th bell pepper in half and stretch the filling out to make 8 servings as a substitute of 6. Belief me..we stuffed these bell peppers fairly a bit, however you may completely stretch the filling should you needed to.
- If you wish to simply use 1/2 a pound of sausage, that works too! Simply add an extra 1/2 cup of rice and three/4 cup of broth to what’s listed within the recipe under, to extend the filling and make up the distinction.
- Be happy to make use of floor beef as a substitute if it’s cheaper than the Italian sausage at your native retailer. Chances are you’ll want so as to add a bit extra seasoning to make up for the flavour you’d get within the sausage although.
What to serve with Stuffed Bell Peppers
The filling inside every of those stuffed bell peppers are fairly hearty by themselves, however if you wish to serve one thing with it on the aspect, they might even be nice with a easy salad or some crusty garlic bread. If you wish to double down on the veggies, you may also serve these with some roasted broccoli, roasted Brussels sprouts, or a aspect of easy sautéed greens.
Storing & Reheating
Received leftovers? No downside! These stuffed bell peppers maintain up very nicely within the fridge saved in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days. They are often reheated within the microwave or the oven and the leftovers style simply pretty much as good the subsequent day, making them good for meal prep!
Stuffed Bell Peppers
These Stuffed Bell Peppers are a traditional consolation meals that’s hearty, filling, has unbelievable flavors, and may simply feed a big household.
- 3 bell peppers ($3.97)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil, divided ($0.08)
- 1 lb Italian sausage ($4.99)
- 1 yellow onion, diced ($0.38)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced ($0.24)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1 1/4 tsp salt, divided ($0.06)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 1 cup marinara sauce ($0.71)
- 1/2 cup raw lengthy grain white rice ($0.21)
- 3/4 cup hen broth ($0.15)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella ($1.25)
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash and dry every bell pepper, then reduce the bell peppers in half horizontally. Be sure that to chop them as evenly as attainable. Utilizing a pointy paring knife rigorously reduce and take away the stem from the highest half of every bell pepper (see image under). It is okay if there’s a small gap left the place the stem was eliminated.
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Place every bell pepper half in a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Brush the bell peppers with 1 Tbsp oil and season with ¼ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp cracked black pepper. Bake the bell peppers in a preheated oven for 20 minutes to melt. After 20 minutes take away the bell peppers from the oven and put aside.
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Whereas the bell peppers are baking, make the filling. Warmth a big skillet over medium warmth and add 1 Tbsp of oil. Brown the Italian sausage.
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As soon as the sausage has browned, add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Proceed to sauté over medium warmth till the onion is translucent and the garlic is aromatic.
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Subsequent add the raw rice, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, 1 tsp of salt, and hen broth to the skillet. Stir to mix.
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Place a lid on the skillet, flip the warmth as much as medium-high, and permit the combination to come back to a full boil. As soon as boiling, instantly scale back the warmth to medium-low and permit the combination to simmer, with out lifting the lid or stirring, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, flip the warmth off and let it relaxation, with out lifting the lid, for an extra 5 minutes.
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Subsequent take away the lid, fluff the rice, and stir the combination once more to redistribute the elements. Start to fill every bell pepper with the meat filling. Stuff as a lot filling as you’ll be able to into every, filling all of them the way in which to the highest.
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Prime every bell pepper evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese. Loosely place some tented aluminum foil excessive of the casserole dish and bake for quarter-hour. After quarter-hour the bell peppers ought to be tender however not mushy.
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Now take away the foil and switch the warmth on to broil. Broil the stuffed bell peppers for 2-3 minutes or simply till the cheese will get just a little brown on high. You’ll want to watch the bell peppers intently at this step to forestall the cheese from over browning. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and luxuriate in!
See how we calculate recipe prices right here.
Serving: 6servingsEnergy: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 18gFats: 33gSodium: 1461mgFiber: 3g
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Find out how to Make STUFFED BELL PEPPERS – Step by Step Pictures
Preheat the oven to 350°F then wash and dry 3 bell peppers. Reduce the bell peppers in half horizontally, sure horizontally. Most stuffed bell pepper recipes both maintain the bell peppers entire or reduce them vertically, however by reducing them horizontally you find yourself with a flatter backside service and it’s simpler to stuff. Belief me! Be sure that to chop them as evenly as attainable. Utilizing a pointy pairing knife rigorously reduce and take away the stem from the highest half of every bell pepper. It’s okay if there’s a small gap left the place the stem was eliminated.
Place every bell pepper half in a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Brush the bell peppers with 1 Tbsp cooking oil, divided between all 6 halves, and season with ¼ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp cracked black pepper, additionally divided between all 6 halves. Bake the bell peppers in a preheated oven for 20 minutes to melt. After 20 minutes take away them from the oven and put aside.
Whereas the bell peppers are baking, make the filling. Warmth a big skillet over medium warmth and add 1 Tbsp of oil. Add 1 lb Italian sausage and cook dinner till brown.
As soon as the sausage has browned, add the 1 diced yellow onion and three minced garlic cloves to the skillet. Proceed to sauté over medium warmth till the onion is translucent and the garlic is aromatic.
Subsequent add ½ cup raw white rice, 1 cup of marinara sauce, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp of salt, and ¾ cups hen broth to the skillet. Stir to mix. Place a lid on the skillet, flip the warmth as much as medium-high, and permit the combination to come back to a full boil. As soon as boiling, instantly scale back the warmth to medium-low and permit the combination to simmer, with out lifting the lid or stirring, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, flip the warmth off and let it relaxation, with out lifting the lid, for an extra 5 minutes.
Subsequent take away the lid, fluff the rice, and stir the combination once more to redistribute the elements. Start to fill every bell pepper with the sausage and rice combination. Stuff as a lot filling as you’ll be able to into every, filling all of them the way in which to the highest.
Divide 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese on high of every bell pepper evenly. Loosely place some tented aluminum foil excessive of the casserole dish and bake within the oven for quarter-hour.
After quarter-hour, take away the foil and switch the warmth to broil. Broil the stuffed bell peppers for 2-3 minutes or simply till the cheese will get just a little brown on high. You’ll want to watch the bell peppers intently at this step to forestall the cheese from getting too brown. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and luxuriate in!
