Hearty doesn't mean heavy with Italian Stuffed Peppers (Photo: Andria Dilling)
You might call these stuffed peppers an updated take on classic meatloaf – or don’t, if the people in your life are meatloaf haters. More veggie-forward thanks to the roasted peppers, and full of healthy grains thanks to brown rice, these little individual meals have it all. A little spicy, a lot cozy, this would be a fun recipe to prep with kids.
Ingredients
3 large red bell peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (14-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, with juices
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
1 cup cooked brown rice
3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley, plus more for garnish (optional)
¼ cup grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and use a small knife to remove the core, seeds, and any white pith. Arrange the peppers, cut-sides up, in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes, and cook for about 1 minute. Add the ground beef, using a wooden spoon to break it up. Cook until the beef begins to brown, about 6 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, stir in the rice, parsley, and Parmesan. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper if desired.
Spoon the mixture evenly into the pepper halves. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the mozzarella, and bake another 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and begins to brown. Let the peppers rest for 10 minutes, sprinkle with more parsley, and serve.