Description
Michael Symon’s stuffed peppers combine Italian sausage, rice, and tangy tomato sauce in a hearty Mediterranean-inspired dish. Peppers bake until tender, creating a comforting meal that satisfies with robust flavors and simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) 90% lean ground beef
- 3 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 large red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, cut in half from the stem to the bottom and cored
- 1 (8 oz/227 g) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup cooked rice, quinoa, or any grain
- 1½ cups shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar Jack cheese
- 1¼ tsps salt
- 1½ tsps chili powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- Heaping ¼ tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 425°F with rack centered. Tenderize ground beef by mixing with salt and baking soda, allowing 20 minutes of resting time.
- Pepper Roasting: Arrange bell peppers in a foil-lined baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and salt. Roast for 20 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Meat Cooking: In a large skillet, brown ground beef with chili powder, cumin, and oregano over medium-high heat. Add tomato sauce and simmer until meat is fully cooked.
- Vegetable Sauté: In the same skillet, caramelize onions until translucent, then add garlic and cook briefly.
- Filling Composition: Combine cooked rice, sautéed vegetables, and ground beef. Blend in shredded cheese until melted and thoroughly integrated.
- Pepper Stuffing: Evenly distribute meat and rice mixture into roasted peppers. Top with remaining cheese.
- Final Baking: Return stuffed peppers to oven, bake 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbling and filling is heated through completely.
Notes
- Tenderize Meat Smartly: Adding baking soda helps break down protein fibers, ensuring juicier and more tender ground beef without changing the flavor.
- Roast Peppers Perfectly: Par-roasting bell peppers before stuffing creates a golden exterior and maintains a crisp texture, preventing soggy bottoms.
- Layering Flavor Technique: Sautéing onions and garlic before adding meat develops deeper, more complex taste profiles in the filling.
- Cheese Melting Pro Tip: Use freshly shredded cheese instead of pre-packaged for smoother melting and better overall texture in the final dish.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg