Stuffed Bell Peppers is a clever trick to turn a normal bell pepper into a dish and meal. The beef is browned and served in a hollow pepper with a combination of herbs, spice and tomato sauce. These delicious portions can be served as a main dish, a side dish and as a starter. It just depends on the number served. To spice things up, try adding chilli powder or curry powder to the beef or even a sliced red chilli.
These peppers will be perfect in the fridge for about 4 day. However, these stuffed bell peppers is that they can be made in advance and frozen. When the peppers have totally cooled wrap tightly in greaseproof/parchment paper and then in aluminium foil. As added protection I then place them in a sealable bag. They will be perfect for up to 3 months. To cook, thaw them over night and bake at 175c/350F/Gas Mark 4 for about 15 minutes or until lovely and hot.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 6 large red bell pepper or green/yellow
Rice
- 1/2 cup long grain rice
- 1 cup boiling water
- ½ tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 pinch salt
Filling
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb minced beef
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 8 oz tomato sauce passata
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
Sauce
- 8 oz tomato sauce passata
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place a pan of frying pan over a high heat and add 2 tsp of oil.
- When the oil is hot, add the rice and stir so the oil coats the rice. Add the boiling water and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Place the lid on the pan and reduce the heat slightly. As the water is absorbed by the rice, reduce the heat until only small bubbles are appearing in the rice at which stage turn off fully. Leave the lid on until needed.1/2 cup long grain rice, 1 cup boiling water, ½ tbsp vegetable oil, 1 pinch salt
- Turn on the oven to preheat at 175C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
- Place a new frying pan over a medium high heat and add a little oil. When hot, add the minced beef using a wooden spatula to break up any chunks. Add a pinch of pepper and a little salt to the beef as it browns. This normally takes between 8 – 10 minutes.1 lb minced beef, 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- While the beef is cooking, slice the top off the peppers and carefully remove the membrane and seeds. (See note) It is preferable to have the peppers standing vertical so a little slicing of the base may be required.6 large red bell pepper
- Very lightly butter the bottom of the baking dish and stand the peppers inside with the open part upwards. (This may sound obvious, but I have had someone contact me to say the beef kept on falling out!)
- In a large mixing bowl add the browned beef, the rice, garlic powder, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Finally add ½ of the tomato sauce and stir everything to combine fully.1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, salt, ground black pepper, 8 oz tomato sauce
- Once combined, use a spoon to transfer equal amounts into each of the hollow peppers.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the other ½ of the tomato sauce and the mixed herbs and stir well to combine.8 oz tomato sauce, 1 tsp mixed herbs, salt, ground black pepper
- Carefully pour over the filled peppers and replace the pepper tops.
- Place the baking dish on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour or until the peppers have softened and are tender. Check every 20 minutes and baste using the juices form the peppers to prevent burning.
- Serve hot and dig in.