Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers with Browned Butter Rice

About This Recipe

Stuffed bell peppers are a longtime American comfort-food staple, built on a simple formula of ground beef, rice, tomato and cheese baked inside a hollowed pepper until tender. This version adds a browned butter step to the rice, an easy upgrade that gives the filling a nutty depth that plain rice doesn't have, without changing the essential character of the dish your grandmother probably made. The technique that matters most is par-cooking the peppers briefly before stuffing them; raw peppers take much longer to soften in the oven than the filling needs to heat through, so a short blanch or steam ensures the pepper walls turn tender at the same time the filling is bubbling and the cheese is browned on top. Baked uncovered for the final stretch, the cheese on top gets properly golden and slightly crisp at the edges, the finishing touch that turns this from a simple casserole into something you want to serve to guests.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 6 mediumbell peppers(tops cut off and seeded)
• 1 cuplong-grain rice
• 4 tbspunsalted butter
• 500 gground beef
• 1 mediumonion(diced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 can (14 oz)diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tspdried oregano
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 1.5 cupsshredded cheddar or mozzarella(divided)
• 2 tbspfresh parsley(chopped, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Blanch the peppers

   Boil peppers in salted water for 4-5 minutes until just starting to soften. Drain and set aside, cut-side up.

2. 2

   Brown the butter

   Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until it turns golden-brown and smells nutty, about 4-5 minutes. Set aside.

3. 3

   Cook the rice

   Cook rice according to package directions, then stir in half the browned butter.

4. 4

   Make the filling

   In a skillet, cook ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until beef is browned and onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.

5. 5

   Combine the filling

   Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes, then fold in the cooked rice and half the cheese.

6. 6

   Stuff and bake

   Fill each pepper generously with the mixture. Place in a baking dish, drizzle with remaining browned butter, and bake at 190C (375F), covered with foil, for 25 minutes.

7. 7

   Finish with cheese

   Uncover, top with remaining cheese, and bake 10 more minutes uncovered until the cheese is melted and golden. Garnish with parsley before serving.

Variations

• •

  Swap ground beef for Italian sausage for a spicier, more savory filling.

• •

  Use cooked quinoa instead of rice for a higher-protein, gluten-free version.

• •

  Make it vegetarian with black beans and corn in place of the beef, keeping the same tomato and cheese base.

Storage

Refrigerate stuffed peppers up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat covered in a 175C (350F) oven for about 20 minutes, or microwave individual portions for 2-3 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions