Beef and Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers

Serving Size: 6 servings

This is a delicious balanced dish that brings together beef, rice, cheese, and vegetables. You can easily substitute ground turkey if you wish.

Recipe by: Mayumi Tavalero

Cook Times

Active Prep15

Hands-On Cook10

Hands-Off Cook30

Passive0

Total Time55

Recipe Serving Size6 servings

Cooking Tools Required

Cutting board, Fine-Mesh Strainer, Measuring cups and spoons, Mixing spoon, Oven, Roasting Pan, Saute pan, Sharp Knives, Skillet, Top Stove

Ingredients

6 red bell pepper medium
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the rice:

1 ½ cup medium grain white rice
2 cup water
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

For the filling:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion chopped
5 clove garlic minced
1 pound ground beef
⅓ cup Italian parsley chopped
2 teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
15 ounce canned tomato sauce
1 ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded, plus more for garnish if desired
3 tablespoon fresh basil chopped

Instructions

Rinse rice with cold tap water until water is clear (about 3 or 4 times). Drain water completely. Combine rice, water, and salt in a heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes before removing lid.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim tops of bell peppers by about ½ inch (reserve trimmings), and remove seeds and ribbing. Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish and set peppers in the dish, lightly trimming bottoms (reserve trimmings) only if necessary, to get them to stand upright. Chop reserved bell pepper trimmings; set aside.
In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and chopped bell pepper trimmings. Cook until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the beef, parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, stirring to break up the chunks, about 6 minutes. Add the cooked rice and tomato sauce stirring well to combine.
Remove from heat, stir in the parmesan cheese. Adjust seasonings to taste. Stuff the bell peppers with the meat-rice mixture.
Pour water into the baking dish to a depth of about 1/8 inch.
Bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove peppers from oven and top with additional parmesan cheese if desired, then the chopped basil. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Remove from oven and top with additional parmesan cheese if desired and chopped basil. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Reheating Instructions

Heat in microwave high power until warm all the way through.

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