Changing it up - Stuffed Bell Peppers for supper
By barbergirl28
What's for dinner tonight?
I am 31 years old and I have never had a stuffed bell pepper until recently. I can tell you, I have been missing out and if you haven’t had one yet, you too have been missing out.
Now, it isn’t that I have never heard of Stuffed Bell Peppers before; and it isn’t that I don’t like Bell Peppers. In fact, I love bell peppers. Not only are they delicious, but they are good for you too!
So, after years and years of never trying this amazing feast, I found a recipe online and decided to give it a go. The results were amazing and everybody was left raving. So if you are looking for a dinner to impress, give this one a shot. Not only will you be filling up with some awesome nutrients, but you will leave the table thoroughly satisfied!
The lineup
What do you need
Ingredients:
- Bell Peppers (color of choice)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion chopped
- Pepper
- ½ tsp. Salt
- Can of diced tomatoes (I used the ones with jalapeños for a kick!)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup rice (I used instant rice)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Prepping the pepper
Let's get started
Usually when I want to be an organized cook, I take out all my ingredients and assemble them on the counter. This way they are in easy reach. For this recipe, I have to say this is a must. The prep doesn’t take long and you don’t want to be running all over the place looking for that certain spice that you suddenly can’t find. As a rule of thumb, this is generally a good practice for anything you cook, because then you are immediately aware of whether you have all the necessary ingredients or if you need to make substitutions.
To start the prep, prepare your bell peppers by cutting off the tops and clean the seeds and the membrane out from the inside. You want to make them look like a cup to hold the stuffing. Then you could lightly precook the peppers in boiling salt water. For crisper peppers, omit this step. I did not precook the peppers but I like mine to be crispy. Sprinkle the inside of the peppers with salt and the peppers are ready. Then chop the onion.
Stuff it!
Now that the prep work is mostly done, get a deep frying pan out to brown the ground beef and onion. Once the meat has been browned, add the salt, pepper, tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce. As for the rice, add the amount you would like, just make sure to add equal parts of rice and water. I used 1 cup of each to make more filling.
Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. The rice should be tender, however if it is not, feel free to simmer for a while longer.
After the meat has finished simmering, add the cheese. Since I am from Wisconsin (and us Wisconsinites sure love our cheese), I used a little more than 1 cup of cheese. Stir until the cheese is completely melted.
Now the fun part. Stuff the bell peppers with the meat mixture. Put the tops back on and place in a greased baking dish. Cook at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Enjoy!
Why Bell Peppers?
Bell peppers belong to the capsicum family, and while the U.S. term sweet pepper covers of wide variety, these are the best known because of their shape. There are a variety of different bell peppers; some have a mild, sweet flavor. Red and green bell peppers that have ripened longer are particularly delicious because they are very sweet. Yet, these aren’t the only reason to include peppers into your diet.
With only a ½ cup, you can get a good serving of helpful nutrients (based off a 2000 calorie diet!)
Green Bell Pepper
| Vitamin A - 4%
| Vitamin C - 60%
|
|---|---|---|
Red Bell Pepper
| Vitamin A - 45%
| Vitamin C - 240%
|
Yellow Bell Pepper
| Vitamin A - 2%
| Vitamin C - 230%
|
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The cooking ordeal
Figuring out what to plan for dinner can be a hassle, especially when you are sick of the same old meals. Once in awhile it is good to change things up, and if you can add a healthy boost to the whole process why not.
Stuffed Bell Peppers are an easy meal to prepare, packed with healthy nutrients, and were surprisingly filling. My family enjoyed these and I will say, it is definately on the "Make in the Future Again" List.
I will note however, that the peppers in themselves are very filling. To make this a complete meal, I also added some mashed potatoes and more veggies, however, after supper was over, I probably won't add any sides next time. The peppers were enough. As a heads up, I didn't feed this to my child, as they are not fans of bell peppers, and because bell peppers can be pricey, I didn't want to be wasteful. However, they did enjoy the stuffing.
So, now that you know the ins and outs of Stuffed Bell Peppers, what are you waiting for? Add this to your menu plan and you won't be disappointed!
Comments
@Real - my father in law caught some bell peppers on sale so he was the one that suggested we make them. I personally have never had them before, even though my husband has suggested them to me a million times. Next time I make them I am going to try with orange or red peppers. They were absolutely delicious. We didn't preboil them though - and I might try that as well. I am not sure if it is healthy or not because of all that damn cheese I put it, but it tasted good! LOL
As for the meatloaf - I am making that tonight. I can't wait. Although it was poor planning on my part because it is hotter than hell out to be cooking in the oven. I guess I am going to have to go pull out the crock pot cookbook and start gathering some of those recipes instead for these hot days. Glad your meatloaf was a hit... I got another recipe for you, but unfortunately I didn't take any pictures... which is ok cause it didn't look nearly as good as it tasted... lol! I might have to do that one too. Before I know it, I might even have my own cooking show! :)
Jim, the only thing I can say is I think I went from crapper to peppers because with all the healthiness of peppers doesn't the peppers make you visit the crapper! Hmmmm... might need more research... how do peppers and bathrooms relate?
Thanks for voting this all of the above... especially beautiful. When it comes to hub stats it seems that I am pretty awesome and pretty funny... but nobody ever hits beautiful... lol... Maybe I should set that as my goal for next month - to write more beautiful stuff... blah - who am I kidding - I like funny and creative prose! LOL
Oh yeah - and feel free to eat with your hands. I don't see how it really matters considering that you eat without pants. It kind of goes hand and hand... but whatever you do - don't eat with no pants and no utencils in the bathroom. That just doesn't seem kosher. Or - maybe this is the question I should ask - do you step away from who you are and put pants on when your eating? Hmmmmmmm - inquiring mind wants to know! LOL
Now just wait until my next hub - I think it is going to be about Love Sacs! ha ha ha!
No doubt! I'm not getting fancy tonight because Syd has a game. I'm trying a new skillet dinner I just found. It looks a lot like hamburger helper - but it's made by velveeta. Dave loves Velveeta cheese (eww) it's the cheeseburger macaroni junk - the kids will eat it though!
I love stuffed peppers but Dave gets heartburn from the green so I use yellow, orange or red. Never heard of adding cheese though. I'll like that more. I wish I had some of that meatloaf right now:) yum!
BG,
Two words .. "Large bib."
BG/RH.
I'm starting a Costa HubNostra (Hub Mafia) Want to join?
You must burn this (delete) after you read it .. (looking a bit nervous)
jim
Real - come on over - I am making a ton so we purposefully have leftovers. We will see how that goes... lol! My husband gets heartburn from everything, including milk at times, so I just tell him to take his medicine and suck it up. I am such a mean wife! LOL
Good luck with the skillet dinner - I have never seen them before but then again, I haven't really grocery shopped in 7 months... I just make a list and cook. In fact, I don't think I have had processed bagged food or box food in forever. I kind of miss hamburger helper :(
Jim - to funny. My son has some bibs... they have the little catcher thing at the bottom. Does yours too! LOL
As for ...(whisper voice)... hubmafia... sounds awesome! But I won't burn this message. I would like to keep my laptop up and running... lol
This sounds great, barbergirl!
Wiil,
The pepper or the hub mafia?
jim
BG,
Those numbers aren't going up damn it! It's still 2,1,2,2. We've got to get to the bottom of this BG. Im banging those buttons everytime I jump on this hub. I'll hit you up in an e-mail about my little secret fraternity idea.
jim
I've only ever enjoyed one recipe hub. Normally, I find them boring, but as usual, you've added your style, and now I'm adding you to my list of recipe hubs enjoyed!
@Will Star - Thanks. Let me know if you try it out. I would love to hear other people's thoughts on it! Especially since there are so many different recipes out there!
Jim..... shhhhhhhh.... you might expose us... lol... that might make me paranoid. I got your email - but I didn't get a chance to read it yet. I will head over as soon as I catch up on all my commenting! :)
@Mo - I feel so priveledged that you enjoyed my recipe hub. I agree... I find them boring too... I even find them boring to write... I have had this one in the works sitting in word for like 2 weeks now - just because I didn't feel like doing it. However, I find it is a good tool for keeping my recipes. If I ever lose it... I just come to hubpages and dig it back out! LOL
Ahhh....that's a fantastic idea!
I need to figure out a vegetarian filling that isn't all beans...with their obvious and famous reputation. Most of the meat analogs (such as the frozen 'crumbles') are soy-based--which still means beans!
Thanks for reminding me of this dish...
These look and sound great. I also am vegetarian. I will use the TVP when I make these in place of ground beef. I'll let you know how they turned out. Yum-O!
I LOVE stuffed bell peppers. When I was a kid, my parents grew green peppers in their garden and would pick fresh ones to stuff. The recipe I usually follow calls for cooking them in a crock pot, which takes away the crispiness also. My husband hates them though, so I don't get to eat them nearly as often as I would like. Great hub!
Pst...check 'super' in your title. Did you mean supper?
It's funny I saw your hub this morning- I made stuffed peppers last night. lol I use red or yellow peppers because we like the flavor better. I do Spanish rice, sausage and cheese. Black beans is a good one too. I make corn bread with mine. Always a big hit! :)
@Mo - especially if it is one of those recipes you make all the time but can never remember. I love making tater tot casserole and let me tell you... I have to call my mom with the recipe every time. One day I am going to find like 100 copies shoved in random places. LOL... and usually my cookbooks are organized so I don't know what is up with that. It is just a few random recipes that always disappear! LOL
@Dzymslizzy - I am not all to familiar with vegetarian entrees... but would tofu work well in place of the meat. I have used tofu a couple of times, but I don't really get it. I hope you find a way to make this vegetarian friendly. I would be interested in the vamped up way once you do!
@Hyphenbird - I just have to ask - is TVP - tofu? Not familiar with the terminology. Let me know what you think of them when you try them! :)
@Jill - does your husband hate them because they are soggy or does he just not like stuff bell peppers? We tried them without preboiling them and they were definately crisper. Next time I am going to try preboiling a little just to try them out. Hope you get to eat these soon. Send your husband out for the night and invite some pepper loving friends over for dinner. He gets a night out and you get peppers! :)
@Niki - Thanks for pointing that out... maybe now the score will go up... lol... supper is one of those words that I always screw up... lol
I am curious to try this recipe with other bell peppers. I will definately have to try yours with spanish rice and sausage and cheese too... and corn bread - I wish I would have thought of that!
Your stuffed peppers look yummy! Have not made stuffed peppers for awhile. Will have to put this on next weeks menu if the weather cools off a bit.
He thinks green pepper tastes bitter. However, when I've tried a sweeter, red pepper, he didn't like those either! Geesh!
@Just ask Susan - It is definately a good change of pace... I hope things cool off a bit so you can try them! :)
@Jill - Men, they are sooo picky... lol
TVP stands for "textured vegetable protein." Some types are made from grain-based products, but most, like tofu, are made from soy--which is...BEANS AGAIN!! ;-)
I am thinking bulgur wheat or rice might work well. I make a stunning enchilada filling from the bulgar, and if no one sees me making it, .... well, let's just say once, at a pot-luck party, I had a non-vegetarian comment, "I thought you didn't cook meat." I replied, "I don't." "Oh, well what is in these? They look and smell just like "real" enchiladas, but I hesitated to take one, as I'm allergic to beef."
The tray was among the first of the emptied dishes, with rave reviews all around. ;-)
@DzyMsLizzy - Thanks for clarifying that. Now that I think about it, I have heard of that before. During one of my health kicks I tried adding tofu to my menu planning. I didn't mind the taste, however, it really depended on what you mixed it with. I would have loved to try those enchiladas. They sound delicious!
Delicious - beatiful and healthy. Thanks for the recipe!
@Truckstop Sally - Thanks for stopping by. Hope you get a chance to try it!
TVP=texturized vegetable protein. IT sounds nasty but tastes pretty good. It is made from soy and/or veggies and I buy it dry so I can add it to recipes just like ground beef. We use it for spaghetti sauce, Manwiches, etc.
Hyph, is it odd in texture, or if I cooked and mixed it like you said, would it basically be unrecognizable in terms of texture? Admittedly, the taste would probably take some getting used to.
They are even tastier when you grow your own but maybe that is all in the mind LOL. A truly great hub not just giving us a recipe but all the details make it so much more. Well done. Voted up!
SW, isn't that the truth? The detail and the actual narrative of putting the recipe together made this hub anything but boring, and I HATE recipe hubs...lol
@Hyphenbird - I will definately have to check that out once I get a little more freedom in my cooking... I have some picky eaters to watch out for and frankly... it isn't my kids. But I am always up to try something new and healthy!
@Mo - I know I have eaten tofu before - but I mainly used it in smoothies. I don't really remember the reason why... but maybe it was a recipe I found when I was going through a health kick. I know in the smoothies you didn't really notice the texture! Maybe trying it again in small steps... ha ha
@Spirit Whisperer - we actually have some in the backyard that are growing. We got a red pepper that is pretty huge, just hasn't changed color yet. I honestly can't wait until they are ripe for the picking. I have planted some myself a few years back, but for some reason they cross breaded... so the ones that are soppossed to be spicy were sweet. The tastes were still good - just not what you expected. I guess that is what happens when you buy the already started plants from Walmart! LOL
@Mo - I was once told (when I wrote for the Army) that I could interview a tree and make it entertaining. I guess in this case recipe hubs are the tree... lol...
Barbie, I also have a recipe for stuffed peppers.
I have made these before. I never used cheese
@Tina - I have been hearing alot of people say they don't use the cheese. I absolutely love cheese. I am one of those people that puts cheese on just about everything! In away, I am kind of like a cheesaholic! :)
HAHAHA, BBG, it's true! I really liked this hubs and I usually don't even READ recipes. :-D
Usually I only do recipe hubs when I realize that I really like the recipe... or if I can make it funny. I am not one to go brown the meat, add some color, and eat... lol
Well, I told my hubby today that he could do that too, and he might. :-D
Sounds like a good recipe. I will try it.
Ha ha - let's see what the hubby comes up with then! LOL
@Susie - Let me know what you think when you get a chance to try it!
Stop reminding me I am hungry! lol
@Real - Have you eaten yet? LOL
Yes - finally! I knocked myself out and made a can - yes a can I can hardly believe it myself!- of italian Wedding soup, roast beast Sammies and I dumped a bag of salad in a bowl:) yum!
The kids had already eaten so it was just me and Davey - he isn't picky thank goodness;)
Good good... at least I know you are eating healthish... lol... mmmmm... canned soup for supper. If I made that, they would be like - whoah - I didn't know you were a chef! LOL
Hey BBG,
You sure know how to turn a fricken recipe into a great hub with great comments. I love it.
BTW, Stouffer's makes a pretty good "stuffed green peppers." Just saying . . .
Sharyn
@Sharyn - Thank you very much. I am glad that you enjoyed this. Odd - I didn't think Stouffers made a stuffed green pepper. I might have to check that out!
Love stuffed peppers :) They are delicious. I haven't made them for a long time though, and I think it's about time we had them again.
I also like those long red peppers that you get, and I like to cut them lengthways (they sit flat enough) and stuff them. They're very sweet. I just tried to Go0gle, but couldn't find the name of the ones I like - there are so many!
We've been eating sweet peppers for years, but it's only recently that I discovered just how nutritious they are. Peppers rule!
Excellent hub, by the way - very well researched, and highly informative. Voting up!
Linda.
Stuffed bell peppers are SO MUCH FUN! Great Hub!
@Linda - Thanks for the pepper suggestions. I use to shy away from them when I was younger because I thought they were too spicy. Now I really like Bell Peppers but I haven't tried many of the other ones. I will definately have to check them out. They are good for you and a good addition to any person's diet. Major bonus if you are on a health kick. Hope you get a chance to get some stuffed bell peppers soon! :)
@Simone - Thanks so much. This was a super easy recipe and tasted very good. I can't wait to make them again!
My name is imatellmuva, and I've never had a stuffed Bell Pepper! BUT, after reading this hub, you got me hooked girl!!! This recipe is simple, and the pictures certainly make it look divine! I've always wanted to try stuffed bell peppers...I like all of the ingredients...I really have no reason why I haven't tried it, but now I'm tempted! I'm gonna do it! Thanks barbergirl28! Bookmarked and voted up!!!!
Yeah - I am glad that we can add another one to our ranks. They are absolutely delicious. I was converted almost instantly. In fact, we have some peppers growing outside right now that we are waiting to ripen so we can go ahead and make them again.
Let me know what you think of them once you try them. I bet then you will be really hooked! :)
I made my peppers...yaaaay!!!! I added a little twist though, a half cup of leftover black beans...can you say yum????!!!
Your recipe didn't say how many the stuffed peppers the mixed ingredients yield...and I didn't ask. I bought the same number of peppers as on the photo (4), but actually had enough for 6 (I don't think the amount of beans I added made a huge difference. Nevertheless, it STILL means that I don't have to cook tomorrow. "BG28" I absolutely love these peppers...and the cheese!!! Thanks so much for posting this!!!!!!!
@imatellmuva - You're very welcome. I am glad that you enjoyed them. Mine made enough for 4 but I think it depends on how much your ground beef shrinks. If you buy the cheap stuff (which I think is what we had) it is almost as if you have half of what you needed. I probably could have pushed it to five but I really jammed the stuffing in. I am definately going to have to try it with the black beans and the cheese. I wish that garden out back would grow and grow fast!!
Hey I love it!
I more often stuff pablanos though. I can eat bell peppers like most people eat peaches - I just bite into them sometimes.
Interesting... never thought of eating them like a peach... not sure if I would be able to handle that... I have to gut them out! :)
Well Barbergirl. . . .I must confess: Last night I had bell pepper from the family garden, and these were smaller than grocery store Bell Peppers, and . . . .they were WAY hotter.
So restrict to bell pepper like a peach eating habits to the store bought ones, the yellows and the reds are tastiest!
You are pretty fortunate... we haven't gotten any from our pepper plants yet... but I am patiently waiting! :) Can't wait to get my teeth in them! And when we went to the store the other day the peppers all sucked... so I will wait a bit!
Hey Barbergirl! I JUST got back from the grocery store. I got some HUGE red bell peppers for .99cents/each! Those puppies look like Pablano Peppers - they are LONG. I also bought cilantro. . . .and we've got onions and tomatoes. . . guess what I'm about to make. . . . some AWESOME PICO!
That sounds delicious... I would say send me some but I am not so sure how it would turn out sent through the world wide web. Enjoy it!!!
I'll tell you I enjoyed the stuffed bell peppers so much, that I was reaching to finish the one on my plate, AND I HAD ALREADY EATEN THE WHOLE THING!!!
I got the beans (ortega) and the diced tomato WITH chile from the dollar store. I used ground turkey instead of beef. There's a local grocer who sells peppers red, yellow and green for 99 cents each, so, I'm gonna try all three colors next! This will be my dinner AGAIN TOMORROW!!!!
What a great idea... I can't wait to try them with the different flavor bell peppers and I bet the diced tomatoes with Chile really spiced things up a bit. I need to make these again real soon!
TheManWithNoPants 11 months ago
Thumbs up with a full sweep. That's how I roll from now on. For my friends, everything's useful, funny beautiful, and awesome. I don't care if it's about killing weeds, which is useful and awesome. It's also funny, and beautiful at the same time. It's like one big freakin acid trip these days! Man it's beautiful. Even if the hub's over my head, and I don't get it .. Dude, it's AWESOME! It's useful too because it makes me grow .. and that's a buautiful thing which is funny, because I forgot what I wanted to say in this comment box.
Oh, I love stuffed peppers. I love em even more with the yummy cheese. I love em so much I like eating them with my hands and fingers. Of course I attempt to eat everything with my hands and fingers until I'm told to stop and use my utensils. I'm not sure what made you turn your obsession from the crapper to peppers, but like I said, it's beautiful man, and that's awsome, funny and useful!
jim