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Stuffed peppers are a popular dish in many of the world's cuisines, consisting of hollowed or halved bell peppers filled with any combination and variety of fillings, such as meats, beans, vegetables, cheese, sauce, or herbs. The bell pepper is an excellent 'home' for any savoury component you can think of, as it gracefully holds its shape in the oven. Stuffed peppers are a culinary saviour when you need to use up leftovers — most recipes call for ingredients that you often have on hand, or rather, sitting in your fridge patiently waiting to be given a new lease of life.
Stuffed peppers are also highly customisable in terms of availability of ingredients, personal tastes, lifestyle choices, and dietary needs. When it comes to meat, you can go for any sort, from ground beef to chicken, turkey, pork, or sausage. Not to mention the selection of cheeses you can top them with, waiting for the bubbly magic to happen. With stuffed bell peppers — it doesn't matter if you're omnivorous or vegetarian or vegan — there's a delicious surprise for everyone.
They are perfect for a quick yet delightful weeknight dinner or for a special Sunday lunch with friends and family — those moments when quality time meets exquisite food. Your stuffed peppers will be requested again and again so — without further ado — let’s check out these simple and delicious recipes, baked to impress.
Sweet Peppers Stuffed with Tomato and Olive Sauce
This tasty, Mediterranean-inspired dish of rice-stuffed sweet peppers, tomato, and olive sauce is easy to prepare and packed with flavour. The flesh of the peppers roasts to soft perfection with the garlic and anchovy fillets taking it to the next level.
Green Peppers Stuffed With Rice and Pine Nuts
A quick and delectable recipe made with green peppers, rice, and pine nuts — an easy and tasty vegan dish that everyone will love. The green and tender bell peppers are stuffed with a mixture of fluffy rice, sweet cherry tomatoes, savoury black olives, and velvety pine nuts to create a fresh, healthy, satisfying dish perfect for a summer meal with your favourite people.
Gluten Free Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa
Try these appetising stuffed peppers with quinoa at home for a tasty and gluten-free meal. The tender veal is stirred with onion and garlic to fill your kitchen with a wonderful aroma. Quinoa is an extremely versatile superfood and is also gluten-free, making it an ideal grain substitute for coeliacs. And then thyme, which should be in every kitchen. It goes particularly well with roasted bell peppers. A tablespoon of this aromatic, hearty-flavoured herb adds vibrancy to the dish. Close your eyes and breathe in the scents.
Tips
You can blanch your bell peppers before stuffing them. Pre-cooking speeds up the cooking process. As stuffed peppers can take as long as 45 minutes to bake, boiling them first reduces that time significantly.
You can use the bell pepper tops in two ways: as a lid for the peppers or dice them and toss them into the filling.
Add a tablespoon of quick-cooking oats to prevent your stuffed peppers from being soggy and mushy.
Cover your bell peppers with foil in the first 30-35 minutes of cooking to keep them from drying out. Stuffed peppers should be cooked at 350°F (180°C) for about 45 minutes. Remove the baking foil, top with cheese and bake for the remaining 10 minutes.
Add the shredded cheese at the end of the cooking process so that it can just reach but not exceed its melting point. For a scrumptious extra melt, pop the bell peppers back into the oven for a few minutes. And before serving, sprinkle a handful of fresh parsley over each pepper.
Select bell peppers that are the same size so that each of them takes the same amount of time to cook. If you like, you can use different coloured bell peppers. They will all take the same time to cook, no matter the colour, and it will be a feast for the eyes, of vibrancy and joie de vivre.
What to Serve with Stuffed Peppers
You can enjoy your stuffed bell peppers on their own, as they are packed with nutrients. But for an even richer experience, you can have some roasted or sautéed veggies as a side dish. You can also serve these beauties along with a slice of crunchy bread and a big, refreshing salad, and here you have a perfect summer meal your friends and family will keep requesting time and again.
