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Chef John's Stuffed Peppers

Chef John's Stuffed Peppers

Chef John's Stuffed Peppers are a delicious and simple recipe with roots tracing back to the Great Depression.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Course main dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 peppers
Calories 377 kcal

Equipment

  • Saucepan
  • baking dish
  • skillet

Ingredients
  

Rice

  • 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
  • 2 cups water

Sauce

  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 0.25 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Peppers

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 0.25 pound hot Italian pork sausage, casing removed
  • 1 can (10 ounce) diced tomatoes
  • 0.25 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plus more for topping
  • 4 large bell peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Gather all ingredients.
  • Bring rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 20-25 minutes. Set the cooked rice aside.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Making Sauce

  • Cook onion and olive oil over medium heat until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Transfer ½ of the cooked onion to a large bowl and set aside.
  • Stir marinara sauce, beef broth, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes into the skillet with cooked onion; cook and stir for 1 minute.
  • Pour sauce mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.

Stuffing Peppers

  • Combine ground beef, Italian sausage, diced tomatoes, Italian parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper into the bowl with reserved onions; mix well.
  • Stir in cooked rice and Parmigiano Reggiano. Stuff bell peppers with beef and sausage mixture.
  • Place stuffed bell pepper halves in the baking dish over tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano, cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Baking

  • Remove aluminum foil and continue to bake until meat is no longer pink, bell peppers are tender and cheese is browned on top, an additional 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

Notes

You can use any color of bell pepper for this recipe depending on your preference. Cutting them in half lengthwise makes them easier to work with.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pepperCalories: 377kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 20gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 1274mgPotassium: 636mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin C: 74mgCalcium: 172mgIron: 4mg
Keyword Chef John's Stuffed Peppers, comfort food, Easy Stuffed Peppers, Meat Recipe, Stuffed Peppers, Vegetable Recipe
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