When the temperature starts to decrease and the sun sets a little earlier I know it’s time to start cooking with my oven again. I love eating rice and this combination with meat and minced vegetables is perfect for a fall or winter dinner. It takes a little bit of time for everything to come together, but you can always prep stuffed bell peppers ahead of time. The filling freezes quite well so you can make it in advance and defrost it once you’re ready to bake.
The Filling for your Stuffed Bell Peppers
Start by rinsing and cooking your rice until 80% of the way done.
Next move on to cleaning your vegetables
After they’re clean, chop your vegetables into small pieces. This recipe can accommodate a variety of ingredients and the below are some of my favorites to include:
- Mushrooms
- Carrots
- Celery
- Peppers
- Squash
- Pumpkin
- Spinach
- Green Beans
Next, saute all your veggies in a large pot. Once the veggies have slightly softened, add in your mince meat and cook through.
Once the vegetables and ground meat have been cooked through add in the rice and seasonings and mix thoroughly.
Warm up 1-2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth. I added some chicken bullion or Vegeta to a pot with some water for mine since I didn’t have any on hand.
Prep Your Stuffed Bell Peppers
Gut your peppers as can be seen in the video
Don’t forget to trim the top of the pepper
Once your peppers are stuffed with your mixture add 1-3 Tbsp of broth to each pepper. This will help the rice finish cooking in the oven.
PRO TIP
If you are having trouble getting your peppers to stand, try rolling aluminum foil into logs and creating supports. I wrap the base of my more uneven peppers and that helps them stay upright.
Now place your peppers in a 350-degree F ( 180 C) oven for 40 minutes or until the peppers have browned.
Enjoy your stuffed bell peppers
Stuffed Bell Peppers with Extra Veggies
Ingredients
- 8 Bell Peppers, insides removed, and tops cut off
- 2 cups Uncooked white rice
- 2 pounds Ground Meat (Beef, Chicken, or Turkey)
- 1 Yellow Onion
- 15 Mushrooms, chopped
- 5 Medium Zucchini
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Vegeta Seasoning ( can also use chicken bouillon or stock powder)
- 1 Tbsp Paprika Powder
- 1/2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Tbsp Black Pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1.5 cups Warmed-up Broth ( Can also dissolve Vegeta or chicken bouillon)
Instructions
- Rinse your white rice until the water runs clearer. Place in a pot and add 3 & 1/4 cups of water and 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil. Use less than the typical 1:2 ratio so the rice is slightly undercooked. Place on the stove uncovered until the water starts boiling. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside for 5 minutes before uncovering. Taste the rice and check that it is still slightly chewy but about 80% cooked.
- While your rice is cooking, clean and chop up all your veggies ( Onion, mushrooms, zucchini). Place into a large pot with 1 tbsp of olive oil and saute.
- Gut and clean your bell peppers, making sure the top can be placed back on top.
- Once your veggies are cooked, push them to the side and add your ground meat. Saute until fully cooked through and mix with beggies.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, or 180 C. Line a baking dish with parchment paper and arrange your bell peppers. If some of them cannot stand on their own, mold a stand for them out of aluminum foil.
- Add the cooked white rice and all the spices to the meat and vegetable mixture. Mix this thoroughly
- In a small saucepan heat up your broth
- Stuff the peppers with your mixture and spoon in 2-3 Tbsp of broth on top.
- Arrange your stuffed peppers on the baking dish and pour the remaining broth into the dish until there is a very thin layer coating the bottom. This will help the peppers cook through
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the peppers are browned and enjoy!
