Stuffed Red Peppers

Stuffed Red Pepper is a delicious combination of beef mince, mushrooms, onions and herbs packed inside sweet red peppers. Each pepper is topped with its own lid and baked until tender, allowing all the flavours to come together beautifully. Serve with crispy roast potatoes and rich onion gravy for a comforting and satisfying homemade dinner.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings People

Ingredients

4 large red bell peppers
500 g beef mince
150 g mushrooms finely chopped
1 medium onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
100 ml beef stock
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

Prepare the peppers:

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional / 400°F. Carefully slice the tops off the peppers, keeping the lids intact. Remove the seeds and white inner membranes.

Prepare the filling:

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the diced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened.
1 tbsp olive oil, 1 medium onion

Cook the mushrooms:

Add the chopped mushrooms and garlic. Cook for another 3 minutes until the mushrooms begin to soften.
150 g mushrooms, 2 cloves garlic

Brown the mince:

Add the beef mince and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned, stirring regularly.
500 g beef mince

Add the flavourings:

Stir in the tomato purée, smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, salt and black pepper.
1 tbsp tomato purée, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp salt
Add the Worcestershire sauce and beef stock.
100 ml beef stock, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Simmer:

Allow the mixture to simmer for approximately 5 minutes. The filling should be moist but not excessively wet. Stir in the fresh parsley.
2 tbsp fresh parsley

Fill the peppers:

Stand the prepared peppers upright in a baking dish. Spoon the beef mixture into each pepper, filling them almost to the top.
4 large red bell peppers

Replace the lids:

Place the original pepper tops back onto each pepper. Add a small splash of water to the bottom of the baking dish.

Bake:

Cover the dish loosely with aluminium foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking for another 15–20 minutes until the peppers are tender and the filling is thoroughly cooked.

Serve:

Carefully transfer each pepper onto a dinner plate, keeping the lid in place. Serve immediately with your favourite accompaniments.

Equipment

Notes

Serving suggestions:

My favourite way to serve these peppers is with:

- Crispy roast potatoes.

- Rich homemade onion gravy or beef gravy.

- Buttered green beans.

- Roasted carrots.

- A little fresh parsley sprinkled over the top.

Cook's tips:

- Choose the peppers carefully: Look for large peppers with flat bottoms so they stand upright in the baking dish.

- Avoid watery filling: Cook the mushrooms thoroughly before adding the stock.

- Add some heat: A pinch of chilli flakes works beautifully with the beef.

- Make ahead: Prepare the filling a day in advance and refrigerate until needed.

- Check the temperature: The centre of the beef filling should reach 70°C for 2 minutes, or an equivalent safe cooking temperature.

Nutrition