Stuffed Peppers
Recipe: Stuffed Peppers
From: Cook's Illustrated, March & April 2001, with notable changes
Serves: 4
1 Tbsp. salt
4 medium red, yellow, or orange bell peppers (not green peppers, see note)
1/2 c. long-grain white rice
1-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine (ca. 1 c.)
12 oz. ground turkey or ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 14-1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained, 1/4 c. juice reserved
1-1/4 c. (5 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack (or mozzarella) cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. dried oregano (optional)
1 tsp. dried basil (optional)
ground black pepper
1/4 c. ketchup
Trim 1/2 inch off the top of each pepper and remove and discard cores and seeds. Bring 4 qts. water to boil in large pot and add 1 Tbsp. salt and peppers. Cook 3 minutes until they just begin to soften. Remove from pot with slotted spoon, drain excess water, and place cut-side up on paper towels. Return water to boil, add rice, and cook until tender (about 13 minutes.) Drain rice and transfer to large bowl; set aside.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 12-inch skillet over med-high heat, add oil and onion and cook until softened and just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add ground turkey or beef and cook, breaking into small pieces with spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. (Drain excess fat if desired.) Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to bowl with rice and stir in tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, parsley, herbs and salt & pepper to taste.
Stir together ketchup and reserved tomato juice in small bowl. Place peppers cut-side up in 9" square baking dish. Use soup spoon to divide filling evenly among peppers. Spoon 2 Tbsp. ketchup mixture over each filled pepper and sprinkle each with 1 Tbsp. of remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is browned and filling heated through, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes:
This combines their recipes for classic and chicken-stuffed peppers, really. The original classic recipe is for beef and omits the oregano and basil I add, and uses Monterey jack. The chicken recipe uses ground chicken, 4 oz. smoked mozzarella, omits the 3 herbs listed and uses 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil, and omits the ketchup-and-cheese topping in favor of 1/3 c. fresh bread crumbs on top. I always use turkey, of course.
Green peppers are okay, though a bit on the bitter side, which is why they're not recommended. Purple peppers are said to get slimy and are also bitter. I tried this with red and green peppers; the green were better when reheated as they got more cooked, but the red were still the best choice. The peppers should be about 6 oz. each when purchased; try to find squatty ones as they stand up better in the dish.
If you don't want to boil the rice in the pepper water, just make rice (with some salt) using whatever method you prefer.
These reheat reasonably well in the microwave, though they are better the first day.
From: Cook's Illustrated, March & April 2001, with notable changes
Serves: 4
1 Tbsp. salt
4 medium red, yellow, or orange bell peppers (not green peppers, see note)
1/2 c. long-grain white rice
1-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine (ca. 1 c.)
12 oz. ground turkey or ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 14-1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained, 1/4 c. juice reserved
1-1/4 c. (5 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack (or mozzarella) cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. dried oregano (optional)
1 tsp. dried basil (optional)
ground black pepper
1/4 c. ketchup
Trim 1/2 inch off the top of each pepper and remove and discard cores and seeds. Bring 4 qts. water to boil in large pot and add 1 Tbsp. salt and peppers. Cook 3 minutes until they just begin to soften. Remove from pot with slotted spoon, drain excess water, and place cut-side up on paper towels. Return water to boil, add rice, and cook until tender (about 13 minutes.) Drain rice and transfer to large bowl; set aside.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 12-inch skillet over med-high heat, add oil and onion and cook until softened and just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add ground turkey or beef and cook, breaking into small pieces with spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. (Drain excess fat if desired.) Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to bowl with rice and stir in tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, parsley, herbs and salt & pepper to taste.
Stir together ketchup and reserved tomato juice in small bowl. Place peppers cut-side up in 9" square baking dish. Use soup spoon to divide filling evenly among peppers. Spoon 2 Tbsp. ketchup mixture over each filled pepper and sprinkle each with 1 Tbsp. of remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is browned and filling heated through, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes:
This combines their recipes for classic and chicken-stuffed peppers, really. The original classic recipe is for beef and omits the oregano and basil I add, and uses Monterey jack. The chicken recipe uses ground chicken, 4 oz. smoked mozzarella, omits the 3 herbs listed and uses 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil, and omits the ketchup-and-cheese topping in favor of 1/3 c. fresh bread crumbs on top. I always use turkey, of course.
Green peppers are okay, though a bit on the bitter side, which is why they're not recommended. Purple peppers are said to get slimy and are also bitter. I tried this with red and green peppers; the green were better when reheated as they got more cooked, but the red were still the best choice. The peppers should be about 6 oz. each when purchased; try to find squatty ones as they stand up better in the dish.
If you don't want to boil the rice in the pepper water, just make rice (with some salt) using whatever method you prefer.
These reheat reasonably well in the microwave, though they are better the first day.