Just about everyone has their own special favorite stuffed pepper recipe. For those just beginning their adventures into the world of stuffed peppers here is a simple easy to prepare recipe for stuffed green peppers that turns out oh so good every time.

Part of the secret is in the cheese which adds a sophisticated savory texture and flavor and part is due to the Worcestershire sauce which brings its own special unique mix of flavors to the dish.

We are using rice in this particular incarnation of stuffed green peppers because it really is the perfect binding agent. Preparing more rice than merely just enough rice to stuff our green peppers with means that the surplus can be used as a bedding, accompanying side dish, fried rice; either with the stuffed green peppers or as the basis of another meal tomorrow.

In the case of the later you may find that making a few additional stuffed green peppers now is a great idea since any leftovers will be more than welcome when sliced and diced in combination with a couple of eggs, pineapple, ham/bacon, soy sauce and a splash of lemon juice for tomorrow’s fried rice dish. Personally I just love the idea of minimum work cooking which the tomorrow’s fried rice option presents.

Vegemite®

As with many dishes and especially those containing tomato and/or meat I like to add some Vegemite® which is a thick dark vegetable extract paste produced as a by-product of the brewing industry. It does a sensationally wonderful job of adding loads of B group vitamins and precursors while emulsifying any fat. It also adds a bit of a tang to your culinary delights.

Ingredients

• 1 Pound (½ Kg) of Ground Beef
• 6 Large Green Bell Peppers
• 1 Medium Onion
• 1 Can (20 Ounce) of Whole Peeled Tomatoes
• 1½ Cups of Cooked Rice
• 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Grated Parmesan Cheese to Taste (sprinkled over the peppers as a topping)
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Teaspoon of Crushed Garlic
• ½ Teaspoon each of Vegemite® and Lemon Juice
• 2 Pinches Black Pepper
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• Olive Oil for cooking – Canola oil or sunflower oil can be substituted in place of the olive oil

Method

1. Cut the tops off of the green bell peppers and remove the seeds
2. Mash the tomatoes
3. Finely dice the onion

Preliminary Cooking

1. Parboil the seeded green peppers in salted boiling water for four minutes. Then drain and let cool.
2. Cook rice remembering to cook more than required if you are going to go down the fried rice for tomorrow route

Preparing the Stuffing

1. Using a preheated medium sized skillet (preferably cast iron) add some olive oil (canola oil or sunflower oil make a nice change as they do add their own individual something to the flavor). Bring oil to cooking temperature.
2. Add mince, onion, ¼ teaspoon of crushed garlic and two pinches of black pepper. Fry until the meat and onions are brown. Hint: stir the mix periodically while browning to prevent any burning of meat or onions.
3. Drain the oil from the meat and onions
4. Add the mashed tomatoes, Worcestershire, remaining crushed garlic, salt and pepper
5. While stirring bring mixture to the verge of boiling
6. Now stir in the Vegemite®
7. Add the lemon juice and simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally
8. It is now time to add the rice; so do so now
9. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes stirring occasionally
10. Remove from heat
11. Immediately stir in the cheddar cheese. Continue stirring until the cheddar cheese is fully melted and well blended and evenly distributed throughout the mix (no clumps).

Stuffing the Peppers

1. Once the mix is ready stuff it into your seeded green peppers
2. Place the stuffed green peppers in a baking dish or onto a baking tray
3. Top with Parmesan cheese

Final Baking

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Place the baking dish/tray with your stuffed green peppers into the oven and cook for about 20 minutes

Many are the times that I have not waited the full measure of 20 minutes and began consuming the stuffed green peppers once they were hot.

Freezing

If your are making more stuffed green peppers than will be consumed tonight or used in with tomorrow’s fried rice dish they can be frozen.

Do not do the final bake if freezing the stuffed green peppers; rather you should wrap the unbaked stuffed green peppers individually and place them into a large freezer bag(s).

Important – It is most important that you thoroughly thaw the frozen stuffed green peppers prior to placing into the oven for the final bake. In this case with an oven preheated to 350 degrees F they will only take the standard 20 – 25 minutes to finish baking.

Tips

I do recommend that when preparing a large batch of stuffed green peppers for freezing that you do not place them all into the one freezer bag. Use a number of various sized freezer bags including:

• Small Freezer Bags – Small freezer bags that contain only one or two stuffed green peppers are ideal for a quick nutritious healthy snack.
• Medium Freezer Bags – When using medium sized freezer bags think of using the stuffed green peppers as an entrée, side dish or main course accompaniment
• Large Freezer Bags – Larger freezer bags may have enough stuffed green peppers for a meal for the entire family.
• Custom Requirements – Please adjust the numbers of stuffed green peppers per freezer bag in accordance with your needs.

Don’t forget to thaw any frozen stuffed green peppers prior to final baking.