One of my favorite smells is green peppers roasting. Whether it be in the oven or on the stove for Italian sausage. I think it is one of the best aromas to fill the house. So, there is no doubt that I absolutely love smelling these delicious gems cooking. Especially on a chilly Fall day.
When I was younger I would just eat the insides out as I didn’t actually like to eat the whole pepper. Yet, I loved the flavor that it gave to the meat and the rice. That kiss of pepper taste. Now my girls do the same thing. They eat the inside and they love it.
What peppers are the best to use?
For these particular stuffed peppers, I prefer to use the green bell peppers. Why? Well, a couple of reasons. I think mainly because that is what I grew up with and the smell and the flavor is totally unique to the green bell pepper. Also, I like the moisture content in the green bell pepper. It is slightly higher than the other bell peppers and it evaporates perfectly and makes for a soft, but not mushy pepper.
You can totally use red/orange/yellow bell peppers here and they will come out amazing. It will just give you a slightly different flavor profile. If you are making them to have people over for dinner; it may even be nice to use a variety the different colors for a beautiful presentation.
Ingredients you’ll need to make these awesome, classic stuffed peppers
Bell peppers-Â preferably green bell peppers, but other colors will work as well. You want to choose bell peppers that are open and not grown into itself. You need a nice open cavity to be able to stuff it well with the rice and meat.
Ground Beef or Ground Beef and Pork mixture- In this recipe you can use either and get a great result. I like the beef and pork mixture as I feel like it just adds a like extra richness and flavor. However, they are just as good with the classic ground beef. You want to get an 80/20 blend as you want some of that fat for the flavor. Yet, you don’t want it to make sure sauce greasy.
Long grain rice– Long grain rice is perfect here as it stands up well to the filling here. It absorbs the flavors of the sauce and the peppers without becoming mushy. Which is super important. It is important that you don’t over cook it initially though. Â Also, make sure it is completely cooled before you fill it into the peppers. Leftover white rice works great here.
Good quality marinara sauce- It is important to use a good quality marinara sauce. If you have time to make your own, do it. If not, get your favorite store bought, but make sure it is not heavily spiced or too greasy. Here is a recipe for an awesome and simple marinara sauce for you to use here.
Mozzarella Cheese-Â You want to use a good quality whole milk mozzarella here if possible. It will just help it melt nicer. However, you can do a part skim, but make sure you shred your own. The pre-shredded variety tends to have an anti clumping agent on it, which is helpful for it not to stick together in the bag. Yet, it makes it melt sort of strange. So, if you can, shred your own.
Chef’s Tip
The biggest tips I can give you here is that you let the peppers cook low and slow to cook through without overcooking the filling. So, that is why we are going to cook these on 350 for about an hour. This way the pepper has time to break down and the meat filling on the inside does not get hard on you.
Also, when you cover it to cook, I like to use plastic wrap with foil over it. This is a pre chef tip. Most home cooks do not realize that you can put plastic wrap in the oven. However, if it is covered with the foil it will be totally fine and it helps the cheese on top melt evenly and give it that ooey, gooey bubbliness you are looking for. I use that tip for all things covered in cheese. ENJOY!
Classic Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- 4- Large open green bell peppers
- 1 lb 80/20 ground beef or ground beef and ground pork blend
- 2 cups of cooked long grain rice-made from 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water
- 1 recipe of homemade marinara sauce or 1 jar of good quality store bought
- 1/2 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Clean the bell peppers by slicing off the tops and with a pairing knife, cutting the white ribs and removing any excess seeds. This will hollow out your pepper and get it ready for stuffing.
- In a large bowl, add your ground meat, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the rice and about 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce. Mix to combine, but be careful not to over mix as you can make the mixture tough. Form into 4 large "meatballs" to add to the peppers.
- To assemble, scoop 1/4-1/2 cups of the rice into the bottom of the pepper depending on how large your pepper is. You do not want too much rice as you are going to add the meat on top. So, it should just be the bottom about 1/3. Then scoop about 1-2 tablespoons of the marinara over the rice. Top the marinara with the meat mixture.
- Place the peppers in a baking sheet that has been lined with a layer of marinara sauce. This will be the bed for the peppers and help them steam on the outside and in part flavor on the inside. Place the peppers on top of the layer of marinara sauce. Top the peppers with another ladle or two of the marinara sauce and then with the shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover the whole thing with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil.
- Bake for 45 minutes-1 hour or until a pairing knife can be inserted into the pepper and come out very easily with no resistance. Also, the cheese should be completely melted. Uncover and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese on top is golden and bubbly.
- Let the peppers cool slightly and then serve them hot with a nice little salad or side of pasta. ENJOY!
