DISCLAIMER: This is not your traditional Italian stuffed peppers recipe. This is more of a Southwest spicy stuffed pepper recipe. I just wanted to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into here.
I love stuffed peppers because you can stuff them with a variety of items. I prefer to go down a smoky, spicy route with my stuffed peppers. Also, these are not your typical sized peppers. As you will see below, these are more of a lunch portion stuffed pepper. Regardless, they are delicious, and I know you’ll enjoy them if you try them out. Now, here are the ingredients:
- ½ Lbs ground sirloin
- 1 yellow onion, dice
- 3 bell peppers
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 2 tsp chipotle hot sauce
- 2 tsp medium taco sauce
- ¼ cup rice
- ½ cup beef stock
- 3-4 Oz shredded cheddar cheese (Pepperjack would also be a good choice)
- 1 Tbps grapeseed or other neutral oil
- Salt and pepper to tase
Yeah, I forgot to get the cheddar out for the picture. Anyway, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and get that beef stock boiling. Cook the rice then put it aside and let it cool. In a bowl, mix the ground beef with the ground spices and let sit for 15 minutes in the fridge. Don’t salt it yet, it’ll suck the moisture out of the meat. Take one of the peppers (I used the yellow one) and dice It up. Dice your onions and mince your garlic. Shred your cheese and out it aside. Seriously, though, buy a block and shred it. Pre-shredded cheese has nasty stuff in it. You’ll also save money this way. Cut your peppers in half down the vertical way. I told you this was different! Look at the picture below to see what I mean.
Now, put your skillet on medium-high heat. Add the oil and let it get hot. Add the onions and cook while stirring for about 3-4 minutes or until translucent. Make sure to salt the onions a little when you throw them into the pan. It helps prevent burning. Add the diced pepper and cook for a minute or 2. Now add the garlic and cook that for 30 seconds or so. Add the ground beef, season it with salt and pepper, and brown the beef. Once the beef is nice and brown, add the rice and mix until it is incorporated. Add the taco sauce and chipotle hot sauce and stir until combined. Let cook for a couple more minutes and then turn the heat off.
It is time to stuff the peppers. I start by putting a small layer of cheese in the pepper before anything else. Now fill it up half way with the beef and rice mixture. Add another layer of cheese, and then fill the pepper up with more beef and rice. Top it off with another helping of the cheese. Look how good those look!
Lay the peppers on a foil lined sheet pan and throw them in your preheated oven. Let them cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is nice and melted and a little bit brown. Pull them out, sprinkle on some additional hot sauce or taco sauce, or both, and enjoy!
Well, I hope you enjoyed my little twist on stuffed red peppers. Let me know what you’ve liked, what didn’t work for you, or any suggestions/feedback you have at TKMNewport@yahoo.com. Thank you for reading and I’ll see you next month!