stuffed.pepper.bake.
Simple weeknight dinner for those cold, snowy nights in early January for you all tonight.
So stuffed peppers are a common dinner in our area. Meat, rice, cheese, sauce, stuffed in a bell pepper and baked until done. Pretty simple. But kids don’t always like the look of big green bell peppers coming at them. So we try to spice things up, and tonight, went for a bit of a deconstructed stuffed pepper bake, and it was a hit!
Basics:
- 5 green bell peppers
- 1 lb. organic grass fed beef
- 2 bags of microwave ready jasmine rice
- 1 28 oz. can of San Marzano tomatoes (if not avail – petite diced Hunts will also do)
- 2 medium sweet onions
- 2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- Spices
- salt. black pepper. white pepper. garlic.
- paprika. cayenne.
So we have fun just kind of cooking by instinct – i.e. with no set plan or recipe. So we took a traditional stuffed pepper and deconstructed it to make it more appealing to the kids.
Chop the peppers & onions. Saute on medium high with lid cracked to also steam them (to soften). Remove lid after soft to create some browning. Scoop from pan, and then brown the meat. Drain. Add butter, peppers, onions, rice, and stir. If pan gets too dry, add a little more olive oil.
After a few moments, add the meat, crushed tomatoes, spices, and mix. Remove from heat, sprinkle with an even layer of shredded parmesan cheese, and bake in 325 degree oven for about 30 minutes, more for extra crispy rice and less for a “wetter” dinner.
If you’re like us, you can also set the oven to the warm setting after about 20-25 minutes and just let it hang for a bit while we’re having fun with the kids.
We served the meal with some buttered toast and a Caesar salad kit salad with Olive Garden dressing. Easy.
Probably about 10-15 minutes of active cooking, and the rest just letting it bake and hang.
We do meals like this quite a bit, so I’ll try my best to post when we come across an experiment gone right, especially if it’s an easy one to put together.
jess.
