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Stuffed Peppers

The stuffing for the peppers in this recipe is light in texture with a savory combination of rice, ground beef, tomatoes, and a generous amount of Parmesan cheese.
Prep Time50 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Gluten Free, Main Course - Beef
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Catherine Christiano

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked long grain or brown rice
  • 8 large green or red bell peppers tops trimmed, seeds and pith removed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup yellow onion chopped, about 1 medium-large
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 1/3 pounds 93% lean ground beef
  • 1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup red wine optional
  • 28 ounces canned unsalted crushed tomatoes set aside 1 cup
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese reserved

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease one or two baking dishes large enough to hold peppers.
  • Cook rice according to package directions.
  • Bring a 6-quart stock pot 2/3 full with water to a boil. Use tongs to immerse 4 peppers in boiling water; par boil for 9 minutes. Use tongs to remove from pot; cool upside down on a large plate. Repeat with second batch of 4 peppers.
  • In empty pot from parboiling peppers, over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and garlic; saute until onion is transparent, approximately 5 minutes. Add meat and cook, using spoon to break meat into small pieces, until meat is no longer red, approximately 7 minutes. Drain and discard juices.
  • Stir in rice and all remaining ingredients, except reserved cup of tomatoes and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Spoon mixture into peppers. Place, top side up, in greased baking dish. Top each pepper with approximately 2 tablespoons of reserved crushed tomatoes and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
  • Bake uncovered until peppers are tender, forty minutes. Serve while hot.

Notes

Red peppers will be sweeter than green ones. Serving suggestions include steamed corn and tossed salad. Stuffed peppers do not freeze well.
To save time, prep ingredients while rice is cooking and peppers are parboiling.