I am sure there are plenty of stuffed pepper recipes online. However, I came up with this one when I found a slew of interesting ingredients yet no interest in making the same old quick dinner. My solution was to combine them and this recipe was born. Serve it with a fresh cucumber/lettuce salad to contrast the meaty pepper.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 4 medium bell peppers
- 1 package of easy-make couscous (Mushroom flavor works best)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion
- 5 mushrooms
- Paprika
- Worcestershire sauce
- Salt/pepper
- Fresh dill
- Olive oil
- Small Jar of your favorite Tomato sauce
Directions:
1. Prepare couscous as per directions on the package. Set aside. You can also replace couscous with rice or quinoa if you like.
2. Set a large pot of water to boil.
3. Carve out the top of the peppers with one careful slice, remove the seeds and wash well. Make sure the peppers are solid with cuts or bruises, so the stuffing will go in easily. Drop the peppers into the boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Set aside. Do not overboil or peppers will fall apart.
4. Chop the onion and mushrooms and brown in a skillet with some olive oil.
5. Add ground beef, 1 tbsp paprika, salt and pepper to taste and cook stirring frequently.
6. Add a bunch of freshly chopped dill and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, stir well and cook until beef is cooked through.
7. In a separate bowl (or if there is room, in the skillet) mix well the couscous and the beef mixture.
8. Heat the oven to 375 F.
9. Cover a large baking pan with half a small jar of tomato sauce. Pick a kind that is not tangy but rather salty and/or spicy.
10. Place the peppers on top of the sauce with the open side up. Stuff each one with the beef/couscous mixture. Generously spoon the rest of the tomato sauce on top.
11. Cover with tinfoil and place in the oven for 20 minutes.
Total Cook time: 40 minutes.
Despite the multiple steps and pots/pans involved, the recipe is very easy to make and it is absolutely delicious. The stuffed pepper recipe is a great option when you have left-over ground beef or rice/couscous and you need a creative cooking solution. You can now feed an entire family!
