My aunt came to visit this week and I asked her one afternoon what she wanted for dinner.  I gave her the option of cube steak or stuffed peppers.  She immediately said stuffed peppers and mentioned she had not had those in a while.  I was perfectly okay with this choice.  I love making stuffed peppers because they are pretty forgiving as long as the peppers are cooked.

I substitute so many things when I make peppers.  It basically boils down to whatever I have on hand as to what they get stuffed with.  I’ve made a vegetarian stuffed pepper for a meatless Monday.  I substitute different meats, but I have to say mixing the hamburger with onion sausage is on point.  If I have carrots in the refrigerator I will usually dice one up and sauté it with the onions and garlic.  I’ve also used quinoa in place of rice for a healthier choice.  If I do not have fresh tomatoes on hand, I’ll use canned tomatoes (drained).  There are so many options with this recipe, so try it and then have fun experimenting with your own flavorful creations.

Stuffed Peppers

Makes 8 peppers

Ingredients:

8 Bell Peppers

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Onion (diced)

4 Garlic Cloves (minced)

2 ½ Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tsp Onion Powder

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

½ Cup Beef Broth

½ Tsp Paprika

1 LB Ground Hamburger Meat

1 LB Ground Onion Sausage

(You can use 2 LB Ground Hamburger Meat instead of Onion Sausage)

2 Tomatoes (diced)

3 Squirts Heinz 57 Sauce

1 Tsp Black Pepper

½ Tsp Salt

Small Handful of Pickled Jalapeños (diced)

1 Cup Cheese

2 Cups Water

Ingredients for Rice:

1 Cup Rice

2 Cups Water

1 Tbsp Butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a pan add olive oil and heat over low to medium heat.  Add onions and garlic.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Sauté until the onions are translucent.  Cook low & slow so they cook evenly & do not burn.  Transfer to another bowl.

Add hamburger meat and onion sausage to the same pan.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Brown meat & drain excess fat (unless cooking with a lean meat like turkey or deer meat).  Hey I already said I was country, so yes, I do cook with deer meat.  If you are mixing the meat with onion sausage I would not add salt.

Combine the meat & sautéed onions.  Add Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, beef broth, tomatoes, Heinz 57 sauce, and pickled jalapeños.  (The jalapeños do not add a lot of heat.  I would start out with a small amount at first if you are unsure about the jalapeños, but they do add a little more flavor to this dish.) Combine & heat on low heat.

Cook rice according to package instructions.

Add cooked rice to the meat mixture.  Add 1 tsp pepper & ½ tsp salt.  Add 1 cup of cheese (I used Colby and Monterrey Jack).

Prepare bell peppers by cutting the tops off, cleaning out the flesh and seeds on the inside and washing the peppers.  Stuff the peppers with the rice mixture as shown below and place in a 9 inch x 12 inch baking dish.

Add 2 cups of water to bottom of dish and cover with aluminum foil.

Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour until peppers are tender.  Then, remove from oven and remove aluminum foil.  Sprinkle the tops with cheese and place back in the oven for about 4-5 minutes until cheese is melted.

*NOTE* If you have leftover mixture, you can freeze it or you can eat it as is.

What is one dish you have not had in a while?  Comment below.

In my next post find out what I do with my plain leftover rice.

If you like this recipe be sure to check out some of my other recipes below.  Follow my blog by entering your email address on the right side of this page to get the latest updates and recipes.

Enjoy!