Stuffed Bell Peppers

My Mom and Dad stuffed bell peppers for dinner quite often while I was growing up.  This is a hearty dinner that makes a beautiful showing for a dinner party.    

Ingredients:

• 6 bell peppers, cut in half and seeds and membranes removed
• 2 T. vegetable oil
• 1 C. onion, chopped
• ½ C. bell pepper, chopped
• 3 ribs of celery, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 lb. ground pork
• 1 lb. ground beef
• ½ T. kosher salt
• ½ T. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• ¼ t. cayenne pepper
• 1 (8 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies, finely chopped
• ¼ C. fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 C. cooked rice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a Dutch oven of boiling water, parboil the peppers until tender, 2 – 3 minutes and then remove with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels.
3. Pour the boiling water out of the Dutch oven and reuse it for the rest of the recipe, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat and sauté onions, bell peppers, and celery until soft, about 10 minutes.
4. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the ground pork and ground meat and cook for 8 minutes or until browned chopping the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon and then drain.
6. Add salt, Creole Seasoning, cayenne pepper, tomato sauce, and Rotel, cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add parsley and rice, stir well and remove from the heat.
8. Stuff the peppers with the filling and place the peppers in the baking dish.
9. In a baking dish, pour just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until filling is heated through.

Tips and Tricks:

• Cooking the rice the day before helps.  It dries out a bit and that’s how you want it.  If you do cook it the day you make the stuffed peppers be sure it is cooled before you use it.
• I serve the Scaccia Family Red Sauce on the side with these peppers.
• You can freeze any leftovers for use at a later date, just don't bake them, freeze them after you stuff the peppers.
• I use different colored bell peppers.