Classic Stuffed Peppers Recipe

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

4-6 bell peppers (use any color – green, yellow, red, orange)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb ground beef (450g - you can also use ground turkey, chicken, pork, sausage, tofu, or other similar)

1 medium onion (chopped)

1 jalapeno pepper (chopped (optional, for spicy)

5 cloves garlic (chopped)

14 ½ ounces fire roasted tomatoes (canned - or use diced tomatoes or tomato sauce)

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or a blend – I LOVE pepperjack for myself)

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup cooked rice (white, brown, or wild rice)

For Garnish. Fresh chopped parsley, red pepper flakes

Directions

Water

Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and bring a pot of water (enough to cover the bell peppers) to a boil.

Slice

Wash the bell peppers, cut off the tops, and scoop out the insides. If needed, slice a small part off the bottom of the peppers so they will stand upright. (NOTE: Chop the extra bell pepper tops to cook later with the onion - discard the stem.)

Blanch the bell peppers for 5 minutes to slightly soften. (Alternative, you can roast the peppers for 20 minutes to soften).

Baking Dish

Set the softened peppers into a lightly oiled baking dish.

Oil

Heat the oil in a large pan to medium heat and add the onions, chopped pepper tops, and jalapeno (if using). Cook for 5 minutes to soften.

Garlic

Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, or until the garlic becomes fragrant.

Ground Beef

Add the ground beef and cook 5-6 minutes, breaking apart as you go, until cooked through.

Tomatoes

Add the fire roasted tomatoes, seasonings, and cooked rice. Stir together and remove from heat.

Cheese

Stir in half of the shredded cheese until incorporated.

Stuff each pepper with the meat filling mixture, then top each with the remaining shredded cheese.

Roast the stuffed peppers for 15-20 minutes, or until the peppers are tender to your preference, and the cheese is nice and bubbly.

Serve

Cool slightly, garnish, and serve.

Nutrition

• Calories: 534 kcal
• Total Fat: 33 g
• Saturated Fat: 13 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 103 mg
• Sodium: 419 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 29 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5 g
• Total Sugars: 9 g
• Protein: 30 g