Stuffed Bell Peppers

Welcome back! 

Today, we have a quite unique dish: stuffed bell peppers! This type of culinary concoction is found all over the world, with different cuisines adapting the dish to their own cultures. They vary greatly, but the one we have here is more of a traditional American version. However, you could honestly stuff these peppers with whatever you want; there are plenty interesting ones out there on the Internet, from vegan  to Southwestern filling.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet bell peppers (any color)
• 1/2 pound ground beef (pork or turkey also works)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 can (7 ounces) diced tomatoes (you can also use fresh tomatoes)
• 1 cup cooked wild rice
• 2 teaspoons Worcestshire sauce
• 1 teaspoon herbs (thyme, oregano, Italian, pepper flakes, etc.)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup cheese (we used pepper jack)

Directions:

1. Cut the bell peppers in half. Scoop out the inside membranes and seeds.
2. Put the bell peppers on a plate with about 1/4 cup of water on the plate. Cover this and put it in the microwave for 3 minutes. This will soften the bell pepper.
   
   
   
3. In a pot, use some oil to brown the ground beef. 
4. Take the beef out and remove the juices in the pot.
5. With a little more oil, saute the onions until soft. Add the garlic and cook a little.
6. One at a time, add in the tomatoes, ground beef, and rice and cook/mix between each one. 
7. Add the seasonings (Worcestshire sauce, herbs, salt, and pepper) and mix.
8. Once this is done, stuff the bell peppers with this mixture. 
   
   
   
9. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top.
   
   
   
10. Bake in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted.

This dish actually makes for a nice, rounded meal as it contains all the food groups, and the bell peppers are quite a solid container for the filling inside. Sometimes, these bell peppers are served along with a sauce, probably a tomato sauce, but it's not really necessary. Also, if you have smaller bell peppers, instead of cutting it in half to stuff, cut off just a little at the top and stuff the whole pepper.

-Chefpo