Easy Stuffed Pepper Recipe in this way seem impressive but are in fact quite easy to prepare. The recipe demonstrates how a small number of common ingredients can be used to create a full meal—namely, sweet and tender peppers filled with juicy spiced beef and fluffy couscous, then finished with bubbling golden cheese. Since all the ingredients are cooked in a single oven dish, the cleaning up is also simple.
What makes this recipe special is the technique involved. The peppers are first baked alone for a short time so that they become soft and sweet rather than remaining raw and crunchy. The beef is thoroughly browned in order to develop a strong flavour, and the couscous is mixed directly into the filling so as to absorb all the juices. Some tomato paste is added to give the mixture extra richness, and the cheese is put on last so that it melts and forms a crisp, golden crust. The entire dish takes approximately 45 minutes, which makes it suitable for a weeknight dinner, for meal prep or as a casual dinner served to guests.
What Are Stuffed Peppers?
Stuffed peppers consist of bell peppers which have been hollowed out and filled with amixture of meat, grains and vegetables before being baked until they are tender. The dish is widely enjoyed in a number of cuisines such as Turkish, Greek, Middle Eastern, Eastern European and American cooking, each of which has its own type of filling, for example rice and lamb or beans and corn. The peppers act as a edible bowl, becoming softer in the oven and contributing a mild sweetness to the savoury filling. Since almost any grain, protein or cheese can be used, it is one of the most flexible meals you can prepare.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ready in about 45 minutes
Complete meal with protein, grains and vegetables in one
Juicy, savoury filling with a crisp cheesy top
Uses simple, affordable ingredients
Easy to customise with what you have at home
Great for meal prep and leftovers
Easy Stuffed Peppers Recipe: Cheesy, Hearty & Ready in 45 Minutes
Ingredients
Method
- Oven should be preheated to 200°C (400°F). Put the pepper halves, cut side up, into a
- large baking dish and lightly brush them with olive oil before seasoning them with a little
- salt and pepper. Bake them for 10 minutes or until they start to soften; this step ensures
- that the peppers cook evenly with the filling.
- While the peppers are baking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat,
- then add the beef and cook it for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring it up with a spoon so that it
- becomes deeply browned. Avoid stirring too frequently because it is the browning that
- gives the dish its flavour.
- Mix in the onion and cook it for 3 minutes until it has softened, after which add the garlic,
- tomato paste, paprika, cumin and oregano and cook for 1 minute until the flavours are
- fragrant. Then mix in the chopped tomato, salt and pepper.
- Place the dry couscous in a bowl, pour the hot stock over it, cover the bowl and leave it
- for five minutes until the couscous has absorbed the liquid. Use a fork to fluff it up, then
- stir it into the beef together with the parsley. Taste it and make any necessary
- adjustments to the seasoning.
- Fill the pepper halves generously with the filling and press it down gently to make sure it
- is well packed. Then place some grated cheese on top of each pepper. Put the dish back
- in the oven and bake it for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese has melted and turned
- golden and the peppers are tender. If you want a more browned top, heat it under the
- grill for 2 minutes. Finally, decorate it with some fresh herbs and serve it hot.
- Bake the peppers first. This prevents them from remaining hard and crunchy.
- Select peppers that lie flat; if they wobble, cut a thin slice from the base.
- Cook the beef until it is browned. This will give the filling a more rich and meaty flavour.
- You should not overcook the couscous since it keeps getting softer in the oven, all you
- need to do is to hydrate it.
- Make sure that the filling is packed firmly, so that it doesn’t fall apart when it is served.
- Finish by adding the cheese; it melts more easily and doesn’t dry out.
- Wrap your clothes in layers and season the peppers, the meat and the couscous so that
- the flavour is well balanced.
- For the rice-stuffed peppers, use 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice instead of the couscous.
- For chicken stuffed peppers, use ground chicken or turkey rather than beef.
- For vegetarian stuffed peppers, use black beans, chickpeas and sweetcorn as a
- replacement for meat.
- For spicy stuffed peppers, add chopped jalapeños or chilli flakes to the filling.
- For a Mediterranean style, add olives, feta and sun-dried tomatoes.
- For the low-carb version, omit the couscous and use cauliflower rice instead.
- Cool the peppers and then place them in a sealed container before putting them in the
- refrigerator where they will last for up to four days. To reheat them, put them in an oven
- at 180°C (350°F) for 15 minutes with the foil on so that they heat through without drying
- out; you can also use a microwave, taking about two minutes per pepper. If you want to
- freeze them, wrap each cooled pepper closely and keep them in the freezer for up to
- three months, thawing them in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- The best approach is to carry out a short pre-bake, thus making the pastry tender and
- sweet by the time the filling is cooked.
- Red, yellow and orange peppers are sweeter and softer, whereas green peppers have a
- slightly bitter and firmer taste. Any large and sturdy pepper will do.
- Cut off a very thin piece from the bottom, or place them closely side by side in the baking
- dish.
- Certainly. Make the filling and fill the peppers up to a day in advance, put them in the
- refrigerator with the lid on and then bake them just before you serve.
- Yes, use the same amount of cooked rice and omit the stock step.
- When peppers are baked they give off moisture and it is helpful to pre-bake them and
- then drain any liquid from the dish before adding the stuffing
Notes
