One of the biggest benefits of changing the site up was that I got to review every single blog post. Many of the memories made me chuckle, but I also questioned many of the photographs I took along the way. With these latter posts, I decided to not just take another pic, but to recreate the entire recipe. Now, not only do I have better food pics, but I also get to revisit some of my favorite recipes, such as these stuffed peppers.
These peppers are a meal that Paige gets excited about, which is no easy feat. So, they’re already a winner in my book. I like to make them after a night when we’ve had rice, so that I can simply use the leftovers here. Also, and this is important. I do not recommend using pre-shredded cheese. Buy the fresh mozzarella balls and slice them to place on top of the peppers. The difference is everything and takes an old comfort food up another level.
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
3 large yellow, red, or orange peppers
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
8 ounces of tomato sauce
1 cup cooked rice
2 fresh mozzarella balls, sliced as thinly or as thickly as you would like
Directions:
1.) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice each pepper lengthwise in the middle and remove the seeds and ribs.
2.) Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
3.) Drizzle a bit of olive oil in each pepper and brush to coat the inside. Sprinkle the inside of each pepper with salt.
4.) Place the peppers, cut-side up, in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes, until the peppers are tender-crisp and slightly browned.
5.) Heat approximately two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the ground beef and break up with a spoon. Season well with salt and pepper and cook until the beef is nearly browned.
6.) Add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
7.) Add the garlic to the beef along with the chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Cook for about 30 seconds to one minute, until fragrant.
8.) Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Add the rice and stir well.
9.) Remove peppers from the oven and equally divide the meat mixture among them, stuffing it inside of each.
10.) Lay one or two slices of mozzarella on top of peppers, depending on how much you would like. Place the peppers back into the hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the meat mixture is bubbling and the cheese has melted.
11.) Serve and enjoy!