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Six stuffed bell peppers covered in a rich tomato sauce, garnished with herbs, simmering in a pot. The peppers are red and yellow, with visible chunks of filling inside.

Stuffed Peppers

Melissa Jo
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb. of ground beef chuck & 1 lb. of ground pork
  • 3 tbsp. of olive oil
  • 2 large onions chopped
  • 28 oz. can of San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes
  • 28 oz. can of San Marzano crushed Tomatoes
  • 6 medium bell peppers
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 cup of fresh basil chopped
  • 1/2 cup of fresh parsley chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. of crushed red pepper
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp. of dried oregano
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup of grated Pecorino Romano
  • 1 cup of uncooked parboiled white rice
  • 1 cup of 1 day old Italian Bread ripped up
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • 1 tsp. of sugar

Instructions
 

  • Heat a Dutch oven large enough to hold the peppers upright in one layer over medium heat.
  • Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes
  • add the garlic & sauté until golden (about 1 minute)
  • add the crushed red pepper flakes
  • add the peeled tomatoes and crush them up with a wooden spoon
  • add the sugar, oregano, and 3/4 cup of chopped basil (simmer for 5 minutes)
  • add the can of crushed tomatoes
  • add 1/4 cup parsley and salt & pepper to taste
  • Bring sauce to a boil, then lower and simmer while you prepare the stuffing and peppers
  • Breadcrumbs: Put the bread in a medium bowl with milk to cover. Let it soak 5 minutes.
  • Squeeze all the excess liquid out of the bread
  • Stuffing: In a large bowl add the ground pork and beef, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1/4 cup chopped basil, 2 eggs, 1/2 chopped onion, grated cheese, eggs, ¼ cup of sauce, the bread crumbs, and the rice. Mix with your hands to make a cohesive stuffing
  • Cut the tops from the peppers, remove the seeds and ribs and divide the stuffing among them.
  • Attach the tops to the bottoms of the peppers with toothpicks (about 3 toothpicks per pepper)
  • Nestle the peppers in the sauce, cover and simmer until the filling is cooked through and the peppers are tender, about 1 hour, basting peppers every 15 minutes with pan sauce.
  • Serve topped with sauce.

Notes

  • Ground Meat: Buy ground beef and pork. 1 lb. of ground pork and 1 lb. of ground beef.
  • Bread: For the breadcrumbs we use day old Italian bread and rip it up. About a cup of bread. Then pour a little milk over the bread and let it soak while you add the rest of the ingredients for the stuffing into the bowl. Then squeeze the milk out of the bread and add to the mixture. If you don't have that, substitute with Italian or Panko bread crumbs.
  • Baste: Keep the cover on the pot while you are cooking the stuffed peppers. But, about 3 times during the cooking process remove the lid and baste the peppers with the sauce.
  • Toothpicks: Use toothpicks to pierce the top of the bell pepper and connect it to the base of the bell pepper. https://amzn.to/3e9QyXL
  • Serve with: Serve with crusty Italian bread, thin spaghetti tossed with the sauce from the peppers, &  a simple garden salad with Italian dressing
  • Taste your food: You have to taste the sauce and check for seasoning. A
 
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