Stuffed Peppers - Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's double post deals with Stuffed Pepprs.

At one of my last jobs, several of my co-workers and I would frequently talk about food. It usually started with, "Oh, wait'll I tell you what I fixed over the weekend!"

"Oh, really? I've got to try that sometime! By the way, I've got the makings of....I'll probably make it this evening!"

One of my co-workers mentioned she planned to fix stuffed peppers in the near future, which caught my attention. It had been years since I’d made them.

In honor of that former co-worker, here are six yummy vegetarian stuffed peppers to get you through the day, including Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers and Stuffed Peppers with Tomato Sauce. Enjoy!

VEGETARIAN MEXICAN INSPIRED STUFFED PEPPERS

This is from Allrecipes. It begins, "This vegetarian stuffed peppers recipe is not too spicy, but it is packed with flavor. My kids loved it! For variety, add corn or other vegetables, or switch to other canned tomato varieties. Follow the boiling method prior to baking if you don't want a crispy bell pepper. If you have small peppers, use more of them for this recipe. They taste great with a dollop of sour cream on top."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total tTime: 55 minutes; Yield: 4 stuffed peppers

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/231514/vegetarian-mexican-inspired-stuffed-peppers/.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon salt

4 large green bell peppers - tops, seeds, and membranes removed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cups cooked rice

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5 ounce) can chili-style diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mexican cheese blend (such as Sargento® Authentic Mexican)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Bring a large pot of water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add green bell peppers and cook until slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes; drain and arrange cut-side up in a 9x9-inch baking dish.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until softened, 5 to 10 minutes.

Transfer cooked onion into a large bowl; add rice, black beans, and tomatoes. Stir in chili powder, garlic salt, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until well combined. Fold in 1 1/2 cups Mexican cheese blend. Spoon rice mixture evenly into bell peppers; sprinkle with remaining Mexican cheese blend.

Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS

This is from Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RN, LD on VeryWell.com. Kaleigh wrote, "When your blood pressure is high, it’s important to include plenty of vegetables, whole grains, and fiber in your diet. Stuffed bell peppers incorporate all of these into one convenient meal. This Mediterranean version includes whole grain quinoa, chickpeas, and plenty of vegetables, which all provide filling fiber. The bright red peppers and tomatoes also provide vitamins A and C and the antioxidant lycopene for a nutritious punch.

"Stuffed peppers are easy to prepare and hold up well in the refrigerator for lunches during the week. You can customize what you add to them. Switch up the grains with brown rice or farro if you have it, or add different beans and vegetables that need to be used up. You can also add cooked chicken or steak if you want to add a little more protein if you plan to eat the peppers by themselves."

Note: Of course, being a vegetarian blog, I am the last person to recommend adding any kind of meat, as Kaleigh does, but if you'd like to up the protein in this (or any other of the stuffed peppers), you can always add Boca crumbles to the recipe, maybe 1/2 - 1 cup to the total recipe. This would work well if you've cooked up an entire bag of the crumbles, but only used part of the bag and saved the rest.

Total Time: 35 min; Prep 10 min, Cook 25 min; Yield 2 peppers (346 calories)

To view this online, click here. To check out Kaleigh's website, go to Lively Table.

Ingredients

2 large red bell peppers

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup low sodium cooked chickpeas

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

2 tablespoons pine nuts

2 tablespoons sliced black olives

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Chopped parsley, for serving (optional)

PreparationHeat oven to 350F.

Cut bell peppers vertically down the center in half and remove stems and seeds. Place peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.

In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Scoop mixture into pepper halves.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until peppers are soft but still hold their shape. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley before serving (optional).

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

You may use cooked brown rice or other grain, such as farro, in place of the quinoa.

Include any vegetables that you have in your refrigerator that need to be used.

Cooking and Serving Tips

Serve these stuffed peppers hot as a vegetarian dinner or cold as lunch.

Kaleigh added, "Serve one pepper half as a side dish with grilled chicken or fish for a higher protein meal." Of course, being a vegetarian blog, you can use this as a side for any non-meat entree, or have a whole pepper on its own. Yum!

STUFFED PEPPERS

Servings: 8

Source: The New American Heart Association Cookbook

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/238.shtml

Ingredients

4 large bell peppers, any color or combination

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 medium crookneck squash, diced (about 2 cups)

1 medium zucchini, diced (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup diced onion (1 medium)

2 medium cloves garlic, minced, or 1 tsp bottled minced garlic

2 cups cooked brown rice (1/2 to 2/3 cup uncooked)

1/2 cup grated fat-free or low-fat Cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts (2 ounces)

1 cup no-salt-added tomato juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut peppers in half lengthwise, removing stems, ribs, and seeds. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, swirling to coat bottom. Saute tomatoes, crookneck squash, zucchini, onion, and garlic until zucchini is tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Don't overcook.

In a medium bowl, combine rice, cheese, and water chestnuts. Gently stir into skillet. Stuff pepper halves with vegetable mixture. Place in 9-inch round or square casserole dish, then carefully pour tomato juice around peppers. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 119; Protein: 5 g; Fat: 1 g; Sodium: 68 mg; Cholesterol: 1 mg; Carbohydrates: 23 g; Exchanges: 1/2 Bread/Starch, 1/2 Low-Fat Milk, 2 Vegetable

STUFFED PEPPERS WITH TOMATO SAUCE

This is from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Simple and festive, these peppers will be welcome at any time of year.”

Makes 8 servings, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

4 large red, green or yellow bell peppers

3 Tbs. olive oil

4 soy "sausage" links, cut into chunks

2 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup minced parsley

2 14.5-oz. cans chopped tomatoes

1 tsp. dried thyme

3 cups cooked rice

1 cup plus 8 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

8 sprigs fresh thyme for garnish, optional

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F.

Slice bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove core and seeds, rinse and pat dry. Set aside.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Sauté “sausage” for 2 minutes. Add onion, celery, garlic and parsley, and cook about 10 minutes more. Stir in 1/2 cup tomatoes, thyme and cayenne.

Put rice in bowl, and stir in vegetable mixture. Let stand 15 minutes so the rice absorbs any liquid from vegetables. Stir in cheese. Divide rice mixture among pepper halves, mounding mixture into cavities. Pour remaining tomato mixture into small baking dish. Nestle stuffed peppers on top of tomatoes. Cover dish with lid or aluminum foil.

Bake 1 hour. Uncover peppers, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. Parmesan cheese. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes. Serve with sauce from baking dish, and garnish, if desired.

ITALIAN GRILLED STUFFED PEPPERS

This comes from Kraft and begins, “Discover these Italian Grilled Stuffed Peppers and bring a little bit of Italy into your kitchen! These grilled stuffed peppers are delicious!”

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Servings: 6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups water, divided

1-1/2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked

2 cups frozen BOCA Veggie Ground Crumbles

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

1-1/2 cups OLIVO by CLASSICO Traditional Pasta Sauce, divided

1-1/2 cups KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1 large each red, yellow and green pepper, cut lengthwise in half, seeded

Directions

Heat grill to medium-high heat.

Bring 1-1/2 cups water to boil in medium saucepan. Add rice; cover. Simmer 5 min. Remove from heat; let stand 5 min. Stir in crumbles, zucchini, seasoning and 1 cup each pasta sauce and cheese; spoon into peppers.

Place each filled pepper half on center of 12-inch-square sheet heavy-duty foil. Top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bring up foil sides. Spoon 1 Tbsp. of the remaining water onto bottom of each foil packet. Double fold top and ends to seal packets, leaving room for heat circulation inside.

Grill 20 to 25 min. or until peppers are crisp-tender and filling is heated through (160ºF).

CHILE RELLENO STUFFED PEPPERS

This comes from Molly Watson, a Local Foods Expert for The Spruce. Molly wrote, “Stuffed peppers don't have to be bland and boring, these chile relleno-inspired peppers are full of tons of flavor. The zesty and satisfying filling of spicy chorizo, diced zucchini, poblano chile, and potatoes gets a creamy edge from queso fresco. The topping of melted and browned jack cheese ain't too shabby either.

“Note that the potatoes and cheese add a bit of filling power, while the peppers, zucchini, and aromatics mean you're getting a decent dose of veggies in the mix. Rice and beans on the side are tasty and round out these peppers nicely, but simply a few tortillas or some bread fills out the meal too. You might also like these Baked Chiles Rellenos.”

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 80 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 green bell peppers

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1 small red onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 links Mexican chorizo (the kind in casings like bratwurst or Italian sausages)

2 Russett potatoes

1 zucchini

1 poblano chile

2 cloves garlic

6 ounces queso fresco*

3 ounces Monterey jack cheese

1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

Directions

Preheat an oven to 375F.

Rinse the peppers clean and pat them dry. Use a sharp knife to cut out and remove the stems. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise; cut out and discard any white-ish parts from inside, and discard any seeds clinging to the sides.

Lightly grease a large baking dish using about a teaspoon of the olive oil, lay the peppers inside in a single layer, and set aside.

Peel and finely chop the onion. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the onion and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes.

Remove the chorizo from its casings and add it to the onion. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and breaking up the chorizo into small bits as it cooks.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the potatoes. Add the to the pan, cover and cook, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking, until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes.

While the potato cooks, chop the zucchini and chile and add them to the mixture for the last 5 minutes of the potato cooking time.

While that all cooks, peel and mince the garlic. Add it to the mixture and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Crumble in the queso fresco and toss to combine. Divide the mixture between the 8 peppers halves.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. While they bake, grate the jack cheese. Uncover the pan sprinkle it on top of the stuffed peppers, and bake until bubbling and browned.

Serve hot, garnished with cilantro, if you like.

Make Ahead Tip: Make the peppers up through step 9 the day or morning before, cover and chill until ready to bake.

*Queso fresco means "fresh cheese" and is a softly firm milky cheese common in Mexican cooking. Look for it in the dairy case with other cheese. It crumbles easily into creamy chunks. If you can't find it, ricotta is frequently mentioned as a suitable substitute, although won't look as nice, or make the bit of effort and drain cottage cheese (just put it in a sieve or fine colander for about ten minutes) to dry it out a bit—it works great!