Recipes for Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers look as good as they taste. If you have a hard time getting your kids to eat vegetables, you should try this recipe. Its visual appeal will surely capture the interest of your kids. These recipes are also useful for utilizing the leftover rice. You can modify the recipes to suit the tastes of your family. Instead of beef and chicken, you can also use a mixture of beef and pork for the stuffing. Some recipes even use complete vegetarian stuffing.

Ingredients

• 6 green bell peppers
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1½ cups long grain rice (cooked)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1½ lb lean ground beef or ground chuck
• ½ cup onion (chopped)
• 1½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup celery (chopped)

• 1 egg (lightly beaten)
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) tomatoes (diced)
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper (divided)
• 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
• 2 tsp. salt (divided)
• 1 garlic clove (crushed)
• ½ tsp. basil leaf (dried)
• 1 tsp. oregano leaf (dried)
• ½-¾ cup cheddar cheese (shredded)

Directions

Slice off the top (½'') of the peppers; remove the seeds and core. Fill a large pot with salted water, and place the peppers in it. Bring the water to a boil; then, lower the heat, and let it simmer covered for 5 minutes. Remove the peppers from the water, and set aside.

To prepare the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Then, add the celery and cook for 5 minutes, or until it turns tender. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook them over low flame for about 10 minutes.

Whisk the egg with the remaining salt and pepper, along with the Worcestershire sauce. Add the ground beef, cooked rice, and 1 cup of the previously prepared tomato mixture to the egg mix and stir. Fill the peppers with this mixture, cover the opening with the cheese, and place them in a 3-quart baking dish.

Pour the remaining tomato mixture over the peppers, and bake them at 350 °F for 55-65 minutes. Remove the baking dish and let the peppers stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

• 2 cups long grain rice (cooked)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Tomato sauce of your choice
• Salt and pepper
• 6 green bell peppers
• Parsley (minced)

Chicken Stuffing

• 2 chicken legs (skinned; deboned)
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme (chopped)
• 1 cup onion (diced)

• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ lb mushrooms (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp. fresh parsley (chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• White pepper (freshly ground)

Directions

Add the chicken to the food processor and coarsely grind it. Heat the olive oil over moderate heat in a medium-sized skillet. Add the onions and cook them until they turn translucent. Then, add the mushrooms and cook them till they turn tender. Transfer the ground chicken to a bowl and add the onion and mushroom mixture to it.

Add the parsley, garlic, and white pepper to the bowl and mix. Check if the amount of salt and pepper is sufficient. Then, gently stir in the cooked rice.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Rinse the peppers under cold running water and then slice off their tops. Reserve the tops for later use. Remove the core and seeds and coat the peppers with the olive oil, on the inside and outside. Sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper.

Make 6 equal portions of the stuffing and fill each pepper with one portion. Put the tops of the peppers back on them, and place them in a roasting pan, along with the tomato sauce. Bake them for about 1 hour or until they are done. Garnish them with the parsley, and serve.

You can follow the same recipes for red and yellow peppers as well. One suggestion is to use mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar for red peppers. Using all the 3 colored peppers will make a delicious and attractive dish.