A hearty, end-of-summer dinner that makes great use of fresh peppers and tomatoes. The filling is easy to customize depending on what you have on hand.
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers, any color
- 1 lb ground beef, turkey, chicken, or Italian sausage
- 2–3 fresh tomatoes, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Fresh basil or parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Prep the peppers. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Slice the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Place them upright in a baking dish. For softer peppers, bake them empty for about 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.
- Cook the filling. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add the garlic and ground meat and cook until browned, breaking the meat into small pieces.
- Add the fresh tomatoes. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5–8 minutes, allowing some of the liquid from the fresh tomatoes to cook down.
- Finish the filling. Stir in the cooked rice and about ½ cup of the cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Stuff and bake. Spoon the mixture generously into the peppers. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, top each pepper with the remaining cheese, and bake uncovered for another 10–15 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted and golden.
- Serve. Sprinkle with fresh basil or parsley. If you have an extra ripe tomato, dice it with a little salt and spoon it over the peppers just before serving for an extra burst of fresh tomato flavor.
Spice It Up or Give It a Twist
You can take the same basic recipe in several directions:
- Spicy Italian: Use hot Italian sausage, mozzarella, fresh basil, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Taco Peppers: Swap the Italian seasoning for taco seasoning and add black beans, corn, pepper jack, jalapeños, and cilantro. Serve with sour cream or avocado.
- Buffalo Chicken: Use ground or shredded chicken, add Buffalo sauce to the filling, and top with cheddar or Monterey Jack. A little ranch or blue cheese on top works surprisingly well.
- Mediterranean: Add feta, spinach, Kalamata olives, oregano, and a squeeze of lemon. You can also swap the rice for couscous.
- Pizza Peppers: Add pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Finish with fresh basil.
- Southwest: Add smoked paprika, cumin, green chiles, corn, black beans, and pepper jack.
- Extra garden veggies: Zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, spinach, or fresh corn can all go into the filling.
- Crunchy topping: Mix panko breadcrumbs with Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil, then sprinkle it over the cheese before the final bake.
Garden tip: If your fresh tomatoes are especially juicy, let the diced tomatoes drain for a few minutes before adding them. Otherwise, the filling can become watery.