[Collegiate Meals] Stuffed Peppers

This is a great one. Need to feed a bunch of people? Or just one? This recipe scale up very easily and can be as taste-bud demanding as you want.

Stuffed peppers can be stuffed with just about anything you can think of. Here we'll do a vegetarian pepper stuffed with rice. If you're craving beef or chicken -- go ahead and add some browned beef or chicken ;)

Step 1: Ingredients

Rice A Roni -- beef or chicken or other, you're choice
Peppers -- any color but they must be able to stand on their own

The ratio is... 4 medium bell peppers to 1 box of rice.

Step 2: Preparation

Prepare the rice as per the instructions on the box. Microwave or Stove Top. This will take about 20 minutes.

Cutting a Bell Pepper

First, wash your peppers, remove any tags etc.

Cut about an inch from the top in one even and perpendicular slice with a non serrated knife.

Reach in and remove the seeds and any white pithy matter. These don't taste well and take up space for stuffing.

Be sure to keep each top with its respective bottom -- otherwise you won't be able to close the pepper quite right.

Step 3: Cook Time!

Shortly before the rice is done, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You can do this in a toaster oven if your peppers fit -- if they don't fit, buy smaller peppers (or try the microwave).

Place the peppers in a cooking tray that is at least an inch deep and sprinkle a little salt over them. Spoon your cooked rice (and filling) inside and replace the pepper tops.

Fill the cooking tray with about a half inch of water or stock (your choice). Cover the tray with foil and place into your preheated oven for 30-45 minutes or until the peppers are tender.

Step 4: Serving Suggestions

If cooking for a group, you probably should have something else on hand. Bread or even garlic bread goes well. This can also be served as a side for just about any meat dish.

My girlfriend put some balsamic vinegar on hers - I ate mine as it was.

Comments

[krowii]

Excellent recipe and easy too! I like to add cheese to mine and use red bell peppers instead of green.

[danfog]

My dad does these so well. He does them in the oven in a tray with a small amount of stock in the bottom. Somehow, while it's cooking, the stock gets sucked up into the ricey, bacony stuffing and makes it moist and soooo tasty!

[I Am An Evil Taco]

This looks rather good. personally I'd toss some red beans, chopped peppers (nice to have the fusion inside the pepper as well, imo), a diced jalapeno, some corn into the rice, to break up the monotony a bit. That's my only fear about this, I'd have to lay some flavor bombs into the rice to spice things up a bit.

[trebuchet03]

That is what's so great about peppers - most of anything that fits inside is tasty :)

[I Am An Evil Taco]

Oh, no doubt! I could waste weeks tasting different pepper/filling combinations. I specifically love how you roast the peppers. I've seen a lot of very bad ideas about this, up to and including a welder's arc.

[nonexplosive]

sorry but it was not good

[trebuchet03]

to each his/her own ;) If you think of food as an experience, rather than a taste -- then there's no such thing as "not good" or "bad" :)

[I Am An Evil Taco]

Well said. Some people eat chocolate covered snails. To each his own?

[trebuchet03]

Chocolate Covered Squid

[I Am An Evil Taco]

O_o really? I'm intrigued, yet I think I just vomited a little.

[Ibanezfoo]

Oh man bell peppers are my favorite. Too bad my wife hates stuffed bell peppers... I usually make em with an Italian meatball recipe and top em with marinara. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[trebuchet03]

Do share :) I've been looking for a good meatball recipe... I just can't find a good Italian market locally :P

[I Am An Evil Taco]

1 lb ground beef 1 lb ground pork 1 egg 1/2 cup italian bread crumbs italian herbs (basil, oregano, parsley, thyme) to taste, I use 2-3 tblsp of the full mixture in equal portions 1 tsp celery seed optional: 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes mix, roll into balls, bake until done, rotating every 5 minutes or so. For sauces, bake until almost done, still a bit soft in the middle, then roast them in the sauce for the final bit of the cooking process.

[mje]

Here's a way to make stuffed peppers that doesn't require any convenience foods: Mix 1lb ground meat (or soy granuals) of your choice with 1/4c plain, uncooked rice, one minced onion, a couple of crushed garlic cloves, and about 1/4c ketchup. Fill your bell peppers with tis mix, loosely. Place stuffed peppers in a glass baking dish, side by side to support each other Pour a little water- a couple of tablespoons- in the bottom of the dish Cover and bake for an hour at 425.

[I Am An Evil Taco]

good recipe. I'd add a tsp of worchestershire sauce.

[trebuchet03]

I'll have to try that next time :) I'm waiting for the red peppers to go on sale :P Is that cooked ground meat? I tend to like my veggies on the raw side, so perhaps I'lll try a varient of that :)

[mje]

No, that's raw meat; it cooks along with the veggies.

[lemonie]

It's good to know that some people can cook. I'm feeling inclined to do something in this vein myself

[RaNDoMLeiGH]

I made these and they were quite tasty. You can add some beans to the rice for protein (we used lentils), or canned mixed veggies if you're in a hurry and don't like to chop things. Also, I served them over fetuccini noodles with a jar sauce, I think we used sun dried tomato alfredo. Even the kids ate them, which was pretty miraculous.

[trebuchet03]

I'm glad you're family enjoyed it :) I do love sun dried tomatoes (especially in something like gnocchi -- and I'll have to remember that for next time.