I wanted to create a stuffed pepper recipe that would be "somewhat" healthy, yet still quite tasty and easy! For starters, I didn't want to use any canned sauces in my recipe, due to the increased sodium those tend to bring. So, to make this a "healthy" recipe, just make sure you use the 93% lean ground beef, low fat mozzarella cheese and brown rice. You could also do without the butter. However, I unfortunately have subscribed to the Paula Dean ways of the world - and everything is better with just a little bit of butter!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (or more if you love cheese)
- 4 large bell peppers
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 large onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp Oregano
- 1/4 tsp Basil
- 1-2 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 tbs butter
Directions
- Cook rice as directed on the package and set aside.
- Chop onion, tomatoes and garlic cloves.
- Slice the tops off of the bell peppers. Chop the edible part of the tops and set aside. Remove the pulp and seeds from the inside of the peppers.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the bell peppers and boil for 7 minutes. Remove the peppers from the water, and set aside.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Saute the chopped green pepper (from tops), chopped onion and chopped garlic for about 7 minutes, or until vegetables are starting to become tender.
- Add ground beef, oregano and basil and cook until browned.
- Add chopped tomatoes, cooked rice and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Stuff the mixture into the peppers. Place the peppers in a casserole dish so they are standing upright. Cover with foil and bake on 400 for approximately 30 minutes.
- Once the peppers are done, remove the foil, top each with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake until cheese is melted (approx. 5 min).
The photos below highlight the major steps.
Until next time...
XOXO
~Suzanne
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