[Updated May 9, 2015] This is an updatedversion of the stuffed peppers paleo recipe I first posted over 2 years ago, complete with a new photo that looks a whole lot tastier.
I’ve made a few tweaks to the original recipe I think make it even better. Also in this new version, you can either add cauliflower rice or parboiled white rice to the stuffing mixture. Please note that if you’re following the Whole30 program, only the cauliflower rice is acceptable. Otherwise, you might enjoy the more traditional parboiled rice with this recipe — and there’s more information about white rice and the paleo dietat the bottom of the post.
Stuffed peppers – most of us have made them, eaten them, and maybe haven’t liked them somuch.
I’ve never been that crazy about them myself…until I recently changed up my dear old mom’s recipe from 30 years ago and turned it into an easy and delicious paleo meal.
First off, she used plain old hamburger meat. Personally, I prefer ground turkey (or good grass-fed ground beef) mixed witha little pork sausage for extraflavor and aspicier kick.[av_sidebar widget_area=’Lockerdome’ av_uid=’av-2wjjh4′]
And another thing, mom always served us green stuffed peppers – again not my favorite for this recipe. Red, orange and yellow bell peppersare way better for this dish I think because they’re a littlesweeter than the green ones. And besides, thevibrant colorsmakethis dish all that more appetizing to me. And it gets even more colorful when youchop up thetops of the peppers and addthem tothe stuffing mix…beautiful stuff (haha, get it?)
And while your munching on this delicious and nutritious meal, keep in mind you’re getting a healthy dose of vitamins C & A, along with lots of antioxidants in every colorful bite.
Trust me on this one…this is an easy paleo recipe that rocks!
As you probably know, rice is one of those foods you should typically avoid on thepaleo diet because it’s a grain.I very rarely have it myself, but made an exception for it inthis recipe because I think stuffed peppers need a little rice (there’s a cup total in this recipe)to really tasteawesome. Besides, I tolerate rice very well. You can just as easily makea cauliflower rice instead (here’s my recipe:cauli rice) that’s 100% paleo or just leave it out altogether. And one more thing…you might be surprisedto learn thataccording toa number of paleo authoritieswho’ve donethe research, parboiled white rice (cooked and cooled) can be beneficial to your gut bacteria because it includes resistant starch. I won’t go into a detailed explanationhere, but if you want to find out more there’s a really goodarticle aboutresistant starches posted on Chris Kresser’s site: “How Resistant Starch Will Help to Make You Healthier and Thinner.”Checkit out – you might find the info helpfulin planning your own paleo diet.
Ingredients
- 6-8 bell peppers, tops and seeds removed – reserve tops
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey
- 1/2 lb pork sausage
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 jar fire-roasted tomatoes (14 oz), or any other kind you like, liquid drained
- 1 can of tomato sauce (14 oz)
- 1 cup of pre-made parboiled white rice (or paleo cauliflower rice for Whole30 compliance)
- 2 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 3 tbs Italian seasoning (OR 1 tbs each of dried oregano, basil & parsley)
- Pinch of chili flakes (add more if you like it spicier)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F
- Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds. Keep tops and chop them (minus the stem) and set the pieces aside
- Chop onion
- Press or mince garlic cloves
- In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion and chopped pepper tops in a little olive oil about 5 minutes until onions are tender, then add the garlic
- In the same saucepan, add ground beef (or turkey) and pork sausage to the mix and cook everything together until the meat is browned
- Next add the fire roasted tomatoes and 14 oz can of tomato sauce to the same saucepan, and stir
- Add dry seasonings and 1 cup of either parboiled rice or cauliflower rice
- Parboil (or microwave) the pepper shells in a pan/bowl with a little water for 3-4 mins – just until slightly softened
- Then in a Pyrex or similar baking dish, spread a little of the sauce across the bottom and set the pepper shells inside
- Taste your stuffing mixture in the saucepan one last time and add any additional salt, pepper and/or chili pepper flakes if needed
- Spoon stuffing mixture into peppers
- Bake about 30-40 minutes at 350º F uncovered to heat through (oven times and temperatures may vary)
- Remove from dish, serve hot, and enjoy!
Notes
Updated May 9, 2015
https://www.paleonewbie.com/tell-your-peppers-to-stuff-it/
For more delicious and easy recipes, visit us at PaleoNewbie.com
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FAQs
Nope! Some recipes will have you boil or roast the peppers before stuffing them, but that's not necessary here. They bake long enough, stuffed, that the peppers get cooked through. Pouring a small amount of water in the bottom of the baking dish and wrapping it tightly in foil creates steam to help them cook!
How do you keep stuffed peppers from getting soggy? ›
No Moisture In, No Moisture Out. Following the logic of precooking your peppers to safeguard against sogginess, you should also avoid watery ingredients in your stuffing. Let's say your filling calls for tomato sauce. Rather than spooning it directly into your hollowed peppers, reduce it on the stove until it's thick.
Why are my stuffed peppers bland? ›
The thing about most stuffed bell pepper recipes is 3that they call for salt in the filling, not for the peppers themselves. Without salt, the peppers are flabby and bland, merely a filling case. With a sprinkle of salt, they transform into a sweet and powerfully savory part of the dish.
Why are my stuffed peppers mushy? ›
Roasting lightly oiled peppers at a high heat gives the outside a chance to release some moisture so they can brown a bit, and placing the cut peppers face-side down allows that moisture to drain out rather than making them sit in their own liquid and get mushy.
What's the ingredients for stuffed peppers? ›
The bell pepper is the fruit of plants in the Grossum Group of the species Capsicum annuum. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange, green, white, chocolate, candy cane striped, and purple.
WikipediaPour a small amount of water into the bottom of the baking dish and drizzle the peppers with a little olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the peppers are soft and the cheese is melted and lightly browned, another 15 to 20 minutes.
Why are my stuffed peppers hard? ›
If the peppers aren't tender when the cheese is melted, and the filling is hot, simply tent the pan with foil and continue baking until they are. Cut the Pepper in Half from Stem to End. When making stuffed peppers in the oven, I find splitting them from top to bottom best.
How do you get stuffed peppers to stand up? ›
To easily stuff bell peppers and keep them upright during baking, arrange and then bake them in a Bundt, tube, angel food, or muffin pan (spray with nonstick spray first). The peppers stay upright, freeing your hands for assembly.
What is the best way to Precook peppers for stuffed peppers? ›
Many recipes call for boiling the peppers first, but I prefer to roast them – more flavor and less cleanup! The best way is to slice the peppers in half from the stem end down through the base, remove all the seeds and membranes, and then roast the halves until they're tender-crisp.
Why didn't my rice cook in my stuffed peppers? ›
If you find your rice didn't cook in your stuffed peppers, it's likely one of two reasons: It didn't have enough time to cook through. There wasn't enough moisture for the grains to absorb.
The goal is to tenderize them before they're stuffed and baked, but generally the poor fellas are over-boiled, which results in their tendency to fall apart and, as noted, be flavorless. But peppers can have tons of flavor when given the right treatment. The trick is to roast them at high heat.
Do I need to parboil peppers for stuffed peppers? ›
You shouldn't boil or precook peppers to be stuffed, it would result in a soft/mushy texture. Whether you're making cheese stuffed jalapenos, stuffed Italian long hots or meat stuffed peppers for dinner, use the raw pepper. You don't boil them first.
How do you cook bell peppers so they are soft? ›
Remove seeds and ribs from peppers; cut lengthwise into strips and halve crosswise. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bell peppers and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers are just tender, about 10 minutes.
How are you supposed to eat stuffed peppers? ›
Dig in with a fork or spoon, or carefully cut the whole thing into pieces—there's no wrong way to eat a stuffed pepper. And there's something so satisfying about tearing into that edible package. These bell peppers are packed full of cheese, rice, lots of smoky spices, and veggies.
Should you cook or raw bell peppers? ›
Eating them raw provides maximum vitamin C content, but cooking bell peppers can increase the availability of other nutrients.
Why do you boil peppers for stuffed peppers? ›
Pre-cooking is the idea of quick-starting the cooking process of your stuffed pepper. Since stuffed peppers can take as long as 45 minutes to bake, shortening that down with a quick boil really helps me out.
How to par boil peppers for stuffing? ›
In a large pot of boiling water, parboil the peppers until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels. In a large saute pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Stuffed peppers – most of us have made them, eaten them, and maybe haven’t liked them somuch.
