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Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are a hearty dish filled with a delicious mix of rice, vegetables, and cheese, making for a wholesome and flavorful meal.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 450
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the stuffed peppers
  • 4 pieces large red bell peppers Cut off the tops and remove seeds.
  • 200 g white rice About 1 cup.
  • 350 ml water For cooking rice.
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt For the rice.
  • 15 g butter For cooking rice.
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil For sautéing vegetables.
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 medium carrot, grated or diced
  • 250 g mushrooms, chopped About 1 cup.
  • 250 g canned tomatoes, diced About 1 cup.
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 piece chili pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon paprika powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Salt and black pepper To taste.
  • 1 large egg Beaten.
  • 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
  • 150 g cheddar cheese, grated About 1.5 cups.
  • 150 g mozzarella cheese, grated About 1.5 cups.
  • Fresh parsley, chopped For garnish.
For the cabbage salad
  • 250 g cabbage, finely shredded About 2.5 cups.
  • 1 medium apple, julienned or diced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil For dressing.
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice For dressing.
  • Salt and black pepper To taste.
For the yogurt sauce
  • 200 g plain yogurt About 1 cup.
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil For dressing.
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice For dressing.
  • 1 clove garlic, minced For dressing.
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped For dressing.

Method
 

Preparation of Ingredients
  1. Cook the rice by combining the rice, water, turmeric, salt, and butter in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 12 minutes until tender.
  2. Wash the bell peppers, cut off tops, remove seeds and membranes.
Cooking Vegetables
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté onion for 2-3 minutes until softened.
  2. Add sugar, paprika, and salt; stir to combine.
  3. Add grated carrot and cook for 2 minutes, then add chopped mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes until browned. Season with thyme and black pepper.
  4. Stir in canned tomatoes, basil, minced garlic, chili pepper, parsley, and spring onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes then remove from heat.
Filling the Peppers
  1. In a large bowl, mix cooked rice with the vegetable mixture. Add beaten egg, breadcrumbs, and shredded cheddar cheese (reserve some for garnish).
  2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). Brush the outside of each bell pepper with olive oil and place them in a baking dish. Season the insides with salt and pepper.
  3. Stuff each bell pepper with the rice and vegetable filling. Top with mozzarella cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with oregano.
Baking
  1. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is golden and peppers are tender.
Preparing Salads and Sauce
  1. While peppers are baking, mix cabbage, apple, and spring onions in a bowl. For dressing, combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, dill, salt, and pepper until smooth. Refrigerate.
Serving
  1. Let the stuffed peppers sit for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve with cabbage salad and yogurt sauce.

Notes

Make ahead options available. You can substitute rice with quinoa or couscous.