Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Stuffed Peppers, the Lazy Sunday Edition


Late Sunday afternoon, I had woken up from a delicious, after-beach nap, and was thinking about what to do for dinner. I did a quick check of Twitter and found my answer almost immediately. Someone mentioned stuffed peppers. That was it. I wanted stuffed peppers. Nothing else would do. Thank you @wenderly!

Since I’ve never actually made stuffed peppers before, I was winging it for sure. But with a quick call to my mom and a jaunt to the grocery store, the recipe came together. These stuffed peppers came out just the way I wanted: meaty and filling, flavorful, and slightly crisp on the outside. Perfect... if I do say so myself!

Oh! You might remember that I don’t measure when I’m cooking. So with my measurements below, use your instincts.

Here’s what you need:
- 3 Red Bell Peppers
- 1 Box Prepared Stove Top Stuffing*
- 1 Package Ground Pork
- ½ Red Onion, Minced
- Handful Sliced Cremini Mushrooms, Minced
- 3 to 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- 2 to 3 Tablespoons Cream Cheese

*1. Prepare the stuffing according to package directions. I know, I know. I used boxed stuffing mix. So sue me. Set aside the prepared mix in a large bowl.

2. Slice the peppers in half, lengthwise and remove the seeds, veins and core. Blanch the peppers for about a minute. Set aside to cool.

3. In a large sauté pan, sweat the vegetables in a little olive oil. When the onions are translucent, add the ground pork. Cook only until the pork is no longer pink. Too long and your mixture will be too dry.

4. Drain any excess fat from the cooked meat. Add the meat and sautéed veggies to the stuffing and mix well. Add Parmesan, panko bread crumbs and cream cheese and blend well.

5. Stuff the mixture into the pepper halves. They should be nice and full. Sprinkle some additional bread crumbs and Parm on the top.

6. Bake in a 400 degree oven until the top of the stuffing is brown and crusty.

Enjoy with a green salad and crisp white wine!

Note: These reheat beautifully - whether you stick them back in the oven for a bit, or even in a rinky-dink office microwave.

6 comments:

Wenderly said...

Why you're quite welcome love!! Glad I could help!

Anonymous said...

Nana did not cook the meat (she used hamburg) at all but mixed it, raw and seasoned, into the hot rice (which we used instead of the stuffing mix). Probably not the healthiest thing but the rice absorbes the meat juices.
Copying Nana, I save the tops or "hats", a she called them and placed them on top of each pepper when I baked them.
Don't be ashame of boxed stuffing-that's what Sandra Le does on Semi Homemade.

Kate MacDonald said...

Thanks again, Wendy!

Oh no, Auntie C! I'll pretend you didn't compare me to Sandra Lee! Ouch! ;)

Is there anything Nana didn't do well? <3

Amber said...

Like I said to Wendy - I don't even *like* peppers and this recipe made me want to make and eat them. What is it about food blogs, or food networks, for that matter, that have you salivating over food you'd never in a million years like the taste of? Weird brain-palate conflict implosion!

Kate MacDonald said...

Amber, images (and smells) are very powerful when it comes to food. You could see something that looks great and even if the ingredients aren't your favorite, suddenly you're drooling!

Anonymous said...

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