Here are some tips to make your very first effort a gourmet treat:
- Cook the rice ahead of time to eliminate some wait time.
- Mince the carrots, celery, onion and garlic as finely as you prefer. If you have picky kids you can even process them in a blender. For more adult tastes the texture of coarsely chopped vegetables makes these stuffed peppers more interesting.
- I recommend cutting the peppers in half lengthwise to retain most of the pepper without fussing with keeping each pepper upright. Halving lengthwise also allows for more stuffing per pepper.
- If you are alcohol-free you can substitute apple cider vinegar for the red wine. Just measure 1 – 2 tablespoons instead of ¼ cup.
- If you are subbing in beans for ground meat, add enough beans to replace both meats. Mash the cooked beans slightly before stirring into the rice mixture.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375° F
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Halve and seed the bell peppers.
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Spray a shallow baking dish (or line with foil) and arrange the bell pepper halves inside.
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Place carrot and celery in a medium skillet with enough water to cover, about 1 cup. Simmer until water cooks out and the carrot is soft. Remove from skillet.
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Fry the bacon (if uncooked) and ground meat, until browned. Drain off any excess liquid and return to heat.
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Add back the carrots and celery, then add onion. Simmer until onions are softened, then add garlic, cooking and stirring until fragrant.
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Stir in 1½ cups marinara sauce, wine, cream, salt, oregano and red pepper flakes. Continue simmering for about 10 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken.
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Add rice and ½ cup Parmesan cheese and bring to a low simmer. Cook until mixture thickens.
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Fill the halves with the cooked mixture. Spoon a tablespoon of the retained marinara sauce and then the Parmesan cheese over each bell pepper half.
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Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the cheese is well browned.
