A Classic Recipe and Meal Prep Tips
Stuffed peppers are a culinary canvas waiting to be explored..
One of the beauties of this recipe lies in its endless adaptability to suit various dietary needs and flavor preferences. From stuffing peppers with diverse ingredients to transforming them into a hearty soup, there's a world of creativity to uncover. Today, we're taking a classic route by preparing stuffed peppers with a delicious blend of ground beef, rice, and vibrant veggies.
The Bell Pepper's Perfect Role:
When you slice a bell pepper in half, it magically transforms into a perfect vessel for holding a medley of delightful ingredients. These peppers possess the ideal combination of firmness to maintain their shape during cooking and tenderness that allows for effortless slicing alongside the delectable filling. However, what truly elevates this recipe, in my humble opinion, is its suitability for meal prep. With a few smart tips, you can make these stuffed peppers in advance and enjoy quick-and-easy dinners on busy days
STUFFED PEPPERS INGREDIENTS
Ground Beef: You can choose lean or extra lean ground beef, it’s up to you! You could also easily swap the ground beef with ground chicken or ground turkey.
Onion & Garlic: These ingredients both add a punch of flavor, and the onions also help to keep the filling moist.
Tomatoes: I prefer fire roasted diced tomatoes for that smoky depth of flavor, but any diced tomatoes work.
Rice: You can use any kind of rice, including white, brown, or wild rice.
Italian Seasoning: This spice blend is a classic combination of aromatic herbs. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, feel free to swap in dried thyme, basil, oregano, and parsley.
Cheese: Monterey Jack cheese pairs nicely with this recipe. But you can also use shredded Pepper Jack, Swiss, or Mozzarella.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST STUFFED PEPPERS
I’ve got a secret tip to make this a quick weeknight dinner. Pre-bake the peppers! No, you don’t need to get more dishes dirty and par-boil them. And there’s no need to wait until you’ve cooked the meat mixture. Pre-bake the peppers while you’re making the filling and save yourself about 15 minutes. Preheat your oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then follow these steps:
Prep bell peppers. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membrane. Then rub the insides and outsides with a a bit of olive oil and arrange them face down in a baking dish. Pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes to soften them up.
Cook the meat. While the bell peppers are baking, in a large skillet sauté the onions, garlic, and beef. Then drain off any excess liquid.
Sauté the rest. Add in the rice, tomatoes, spinach, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Sauté for about one to two minutes or until the spinach has wilted.
Start filling. Remove the peppers from the oven and flip them over. Then fill them with the beef mixture and a sprinkle of cheese.
Bake. Place them in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the peppers soften. Then, just garnish with a little chopped parsley if you’d like, and serve them up!
HOW TO STORE AND MEAL PREP
If you need to jazz up your meal prep routine, these stuffed peppers are a great option!
Store for the week: After you’ve made the recipe above, store them in airtight containers for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Freeze for later: You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. If you stack them, just make sure to place parchment paper in between layers.
To reheat: You can place the frozen peppers directly in the oven and bake at 350°F for about 10 to 15 minutes, or microwave them for about 3 to 4 minutes. If you thaw them overnight in your fridge first (which I recommend doing), it will reduce the time needed to re-heat by a couple of minutes.