Have you ever made stuffed peppers before? If so, I’m thinking you will really enjoy this yummy casserole. I love all the robust flavors in this casserole and so does my family. It tastes just like the stuffed peppers do. My kids like unstuffed peppers better than the traditional recipe as they don’t really care for the cooked peppers and usually toss them in the trash any way. So, this recipe is good because it also cuts down on waste
I always love it when my kids ask for seconds. That means the meal is a keeper!
Ingredients
3 or 4 sweet peppers (I use a mix of red, orange and yellow)
1 pound ground turkey or chicken
2 cups instant rice or 1 cup regular long grain rice
1 tbsp Bertolli olive oil
2 small onions chopped fine
540ml can of diced stewed tomatoes
1/2 tsp Morton salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp McCormick cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups beef stock ( I make mine using low sodium dry beef bullion)
1. In a large frying pan, brown the ground chicken and break it up into little pieces.
2. Add olive oil and onions and saute for approximately 5 minutes, until onion is soft and almost browned.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
4. Add rice and saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. While step#3 is happening – wash your peppers well, cut them into halves and scoop out seeds.
6. Add tomatoes and spices to frying pan and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes, stirring well to ensure everything is evenly seasoned and well mixed.
8. Now scoop some of the the rice mixture into the pan and spread it around so it fills in all the small spots around the peppers.7. Take the bottom half of one pepper, fill it with the rice mixture and lay it in a large baking dish. Repeat until bottom of dish is full. (I usually use a 8″ x 11″ lasagna pan, but a loaf style pan also works in a pinch)
9. Hold a pepper top in the palm of your hand. Fill it with rice mixture and then plop it down on top of on the bottom halves, so it somewhat forms a whole pepper. Repeat until out of peppers. Scoop any remaining rice mix into the dish and fill in the space around the peppers.
10. Pour beef stock into the pan, lifting edges of the pepper tops to ensure liquid gets inside and is evenly dispersed.
Want to make things even simpler? Don’t stuff the peppers at all.
Transfer the stuffing into your baking pan, and pour the beef stock over top, then simply top with halves of peppers. Space the peppers out evenly and press them down into the mixture.
11. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 1 hour. Allow to sit and cool for 5-10 minutes and then serve on it’s own or with crusty bread and butter.
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Quick Tip: I love making this meal for potluck gatherings because it’s so simple and it feeds a crowd.
do you cook the rice first?