Don’t let this recipe intimidate you. I always thought making any type of stuffed vegetable was very elaborate and complicated. Stuffed peppers are actually quite easy to assemble and they taste amazing. I found this recipe online and have since altered it to suit our tastes. For instance the original recipe calls for ground beef. I’ve made the dish many times using ground beef and it’s wonderful, however my husband wondered if we could substitute ground turkey and still get the same satisfying results. I thought it would work but I didn’t think the taste would be as delightful. This past week, I used turkey and was proved wrong. We actually preferred the taste of ground turkey. Who would have thought!
Another ingredient that I changed was the rice. The original recipe calls for uncooked rice, however I’ve modified it to include cooked rice (Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice). I made the recipe once or twice using uncooked rice and then I became wise and figured out how to save time. The rice is traditionally combined with the meat/tomato mixture and cooks this way. The brown rice I purchased took 35-45 minutes to fully cook. That’s a long time! The beginning of the recipe whipped together easily but to wait for the rice to cook, followed by another 30 minutes of baking was too long for me. Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice cooks for 90 seconds in the microwave and can be directly added to the meat mixture. This allows you to jump right into stuffing the peppers and putting them in the oven. I’m very happy to have discovered this large time saver.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it makes 6 peppers. That’s a large amount of food for only 2 people. Previously I made all 6 peppers and we’d eat the leftovers throughout the week. However after coming across articles on how to freeze meals I decided to try it with this one. I made the meat mixture, cooked only 3 stuffed peppers, and froze the rest of the meat mixture for a later time (buying the peppers at that time). If you’re interested in doing this, simply divide the cooked meat mixture in half, reserving one portion for freezing. Let the meat fully cool before placing it in a large Ziploc bag. I like using Ziploc bags as this will allow you to flatten the leftovers (think of a thick sheet of paper) vs. using a storage container that takes up much more room in the freezer. Use a permanent maker to write on the outside of the bag what’s inside of it. Let’s face it, freezers get full, so this will serve as a nice reminder when you discover the bag. I also add a note on the bag stating 3 peppers are needed. This will remind you when thawing the mixture to buy the peppers. When you plan to make this meal remove the meat mixture from the freezer the day before so that it can properly thaw.
As I’ve said this is a meal we’ve made many times. This was the first time we used ground turkey instead of beef and we really enjoyed it. The mixture inside the pepper has a nice texture and the peppers cut so easily when they come out of the oven. They don’t look like they would be that satisfying but surprisingly they’re more filling than they look. We usually pair garlic bread with these as they go together nicely. Enjoy!
Another ingredient that I changed was the rice. The original recipe calls for uncooked rice, however I’ve modified it to include cooked rice (Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice). I made the recipe once or twice using uncooked rice and then I became wise and figured out how to save time. The rice is traditionally combined with the meat/tomato mixture and cooks this way. The brown rice I purchased took 35-45 minutes to fully cook. That’s a long time! The beginning of the recipe whipped together easily but to wait for the rice to cook, followed by another 30 minutes of baking was too long for me. Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice cooks for 90 seconds in the microwave and can be directly added to the meat mixture. This allows you to jump right into stuffing the peppers and putting them in the oven. I’m very happy to have discovered this large time saver.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it makes 6 peppers. That’s a large amount of food for only 2 people. Previously I made all 6 peppers and we’d eat the leftovers throughout the week. However after coming across articles on how to freeze meals I decided to try it with this one. I made the meat mixture, cooked only 3 stuffed peppers, and froze the rest of the meat mixture for a later time (buying the peppers at that time). If you’re interested in doing this, simply divide the cooked meat mixture in half, reserving one portion for freezing. Let the meat fully cool before placing it in a large Ziploc bag. I like using Ziploc bags as this will allow you to flatten the leftovers (think of a thick sheet of paper) vs. using a storage container that takes up much more room in the freezer. Use a permanent maker to write on the outside of the bag what’s inside of it. Let’s face it, freezers get full, so this will serve as a nice reminder when you discover the bag. I also add a note on the bag stating 3 peppers are needed. This will remind you when thawing the mixture to buy the peppers. When you plan to make this meal remove the meat mixture from the freezer the day before so that it can properly thaw.
As I’ve said this is a meal we’ve made many times. This was the first time we used ground turkey instead of beef and we really enjoyed it. The mixture inside the pepper has a nice texture and the peppers cut so easily when they come out of the oven. They don’t look like they would be that satisfying but surprisingly they’re more filling than they look. We usually pair garlic bread with these as they go together nicely. Enjoy!
Stuffed Peppers
Adapted from Recipe #1356 by Cindy Hartlin, food.com
Serves: 6
Prep Time: 25 mins.
Cook Time: 30 mins.
Adapted from Recipe #1356 by Cindy Hartlin, food.com
Serves: 6
Prep Time: 25 mins.
Cook Time: 30 mins.
Ingredients:
- 6 large bell peppers (any color)
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup cooked grain rice (Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice: Long Grain & Wild)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350˚F.
- Cut tops from bell peppers; discard seeds and membranes.
- Chop enough of the tops to make 1/2 cup, set aside.
- Cook whole peppers, uncovered, in large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Use tongs to remove from pot. Invert peppers over dish towel or plate to drain well.
- Sprinkle the inside of peppers lightly with salt. In a skillet cook ground turkey, onion and 1/2 cup chopped pepper until meat is browned and vegetables are tender.
- Drain off excess fat. Add undrained tomatoes, rice, salt, Worcestershire, and a dash of pepper. Stir to combine well.
- Add in cheese. Stir meat mixture until cheese is melted. Using a large spoon to stuff peppers with the meat mixture.
- Place in a large oven proof baking dish that has a lid.
- Bake, covered for 30 minutes.
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