Stuffed Peppers
This is an old-fashioned dish that freezes well and can be made in bulk when peppers are prolific and inexpensive blanching the peppers allows them to cook more evenly and predictably in the oven.
Bell peppers come in a variety of sizes. This recipe calls for four peppers about the size you’d find in a supermarket: 4 inches or so. Use more of the smaller sizes if you like. If you use a spicy sausage as a filling, you may want to skip the jalapeno pepper.
Ingredients
1 cup brown or white rice (or 3 cups leftover cooked rice)
2 teaspoons salt
4 medium green, red or other color peppers
1 pound ground meat: sausage, lamb or beef
1 medium onion, about 1 cup chopped fine
1 small jalapeño, minced (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon allspice
2 cups tomato sauce (about two 8-ounce cans)
1 cup grated aged cheddar cheese, such as Kenny’s Farmhouse
Instructions
Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the rice, cover and lower heat to simmer white rice 20 minutes; brown rice 40 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut peppers in half vertically and clean out core and white membrane. When water boils, add 4 halves and simmer 7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and repeat with remaining peppers.
Meanwhile, combine ground meat, onion and jalapeño (if using) in a wide, deep skillet and cook over medium heat until onion softens, about 15 minutes, stirring to break up the meat. If the meat seems fatty, pour off excess fat. If the meat is very lean, which it may be if you’ve purchased it at a farmers market, add a little oil or bacon fat so the onion will cook evenly.
When the onion has softened, add 1 teaspoon salt, oregano, pepper, allspice, cooked rice and 1 cup tomato sauce. Stir gently to combine evenly.
Heat oven to 350°.
When the peppers are cool enough to handle, fill the pepper halves with meat/rice mixture, and place them in a 9- by 13-inch casserole as you do. Pour remaining tomato sauce over all and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.
Yields 4 servings.