Families looking to stretch their food money can make Stuffed Green Peppers to use up leftover rice, tomato sauce, grated cheese and ground beef. This stuffed green pepper recipe uses six ingredients, plus spices and can easily be adapted to each individual family’s taste. The basic recipe makes four stuffed peppers. It is easily doubled.
Stuffed Green Peppers
Ingredients for Stuffed Peppers:
- 4 green peppers.
- 1 cup cooked rice.
- ½ lb ground beef.
- ½ cup chopped onion.
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Ingredients for Tomato Sauce:
- 15 oz. can of plain tomato sauce.
- 1 tsp. dried oregano.
- ½ tsp. garlic powder.
- ¼ tsp. dried basil.
- 1 tsp. dried parsely.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut the tops off of green peppers and set aside. Remove seeds from inside peppers.
- In a large pot of gently boiling water, parboil peppers and tops until they are tender. Remove and place peppers cut side down in an 8x8 glass pan to allow peppers to drain and cool slightly.
- Brown ground beef with onion, then drain.
- Mix spices and tomato sauce together in small bowl or measuring cup for easy pouring.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked beef and onions, cooked rice, cheddar cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add sauce gradually until the mixture is completely moist, but not soupy. There may be some leftover sauce.
- Place green peppers right side up in the baking dish. Using a small serving spoon or soup spoon, begin stuffing peppers with rice mixture. Gently press stuffing down as the pepper is filled. Fill all of the green peppers then place the top on each like a hat.
- Add ½ inch of water to the baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees until the stuffed peppers are hot. The tomato sauce will be bubbly and the cheese will be melted.
Tips for Making Stuffed Green Peppers
There are several different ways to alter the basic recipe to suit the family’s taste and the ingredients that are available on hand. Ground venison or ground turkey can be substituted for ground beef. Here is a tip to make the recipe less greasy, no matter which meat is used. Brown the ground meat first. Drain any grease or liquid off the meat, and then add the chopped onion to the pan. Stir frequently until the onion is translucent. This method will help reduce grease because the onions will absorb less fat.
Make Stuffed Red Peppers
Although the basic recipe calls for green peppers, the sweeter red peppers can be substituted if available. Using mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar is better suited to the milder red pepper flavor. Mozzarella cheese can be used with green peppers as well.
With green or stuffed red peppers, brown or white rice can be used. Leftover tomato sauce from another dinner can also be used. However, if the sauce is already flavored do not add extra spices. If there is extra rice stuffing after the green or red peppers are full, it can be baked separately. Place the extra stuffing in a ramekin or other small dish, top with a thin layer of sauce and cheese and bake.
Stuffed Green Peppers is an easy dinner recipe that can use leftovers to create a special meal. This recipe can be customized to suit the family’s taste and can easily be doubled for larger families. Extra rice stuffing can be baked separately so there is little waste. Use ground beef, ground venison or ground turkey in this easy dinner recipe. For more easy recipes, read Simple Side Dish Adds Flavor to Summer Dining.
Genna Cockerham - Genna Cockerham has been writing online since November 2008. She served as Marriage Feature Writer from December 2008 to February ...
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