Stuffed Bell Peppers

I had never made stuffed peppers. I never though I would make stuffed peppers. It sounded complicated and like way too much work.

Then.. Mike and I decided to detox. While we were on our detox we had a very strict set of foods we could and couldn’t eat. And Stuffed bell peppers were on the COULD eat list… so I bit the bullet and made them…. and survived!

They really aren’t hard to make at all. They do require a bit of prep time, so try these on a night when you can enjoy some time in the kitchen!

Stuffed Bell Peppers:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

4 medium-size bell peppers of any color
1/2 pound ground pasteurized turkey or grass-fed beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced onion
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 can (28-ounce) diced tomatoes with liquid
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Tomato ketchup or shredded cheese (we used ketchup!)

Cut the tops off each pepper; pull out the stem portion and seeds. Chop enough of the tops to make 1/3 cup. Clean out the rest of the pepper so no seeds remain and the center ribs are carved out to make room for the stuffing. If pepper does not stand up straight, slice a little off the bottom of the pepper to level it out.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, brown ground beef; add garlic, onion, carrot, and reserved chopped peppers; sauté until vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes, rice, basil, salt, and pepper. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until the rice is tender, approximately 30 minutes. Remove from heat.

While that is simmering cook peppers in boiling water until crisp-tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. You want it to have just a slight crunch when you eat it. Be careful not to overcook them or they will be soggy and hard to stuff.

Remove peppers from water and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process; drain and set aside.

Place peppers in a baking dish. Stuff hot meat mixture into peppers. Drizzle tops with ketchup or shredded cheese. Bake approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve!