Bell peppers stuffed with a spiced ground beef, rice and tomato filling, based on ajies rellenos, a Cuban home-cooking classic.
Ajies rellenos - stuffed peppers - are a fixture of Cuban Sunday dinners, built on the same picadillo-style filling used in so much of the island's cooking: ground beef browned hard, a proper sofrito, tomato and cumin, all bulked out with rice so the filling holds its shape once baked inside the pepper. The key technique is parboiling the peppers briefly before stuffing so they soften just enough to become tender in the oven without collapsing, and packing the filling firmly so it doesn't fall apart when the peppers are sliced at the table.
Serves 4
Blanch the hollowed peppers in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes to soften slightly. Drain upside down.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook ground beef, breaking it up, until browned, about 8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Add onion to the pan and cook 5 minutes until soft, then stir in garlic and cumin for 1 minute.
Stir in half the crushed tomatoes, the rice, raisins, olives and salt. Simmer 5 minutes until thickened.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Pack the filling firmly into each pepper, place upright in a baking dish, and pour the remaining crushed tomatoes over the tops.
Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Uncover, top with cheese if using, and bake another 10-12 minutes until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted.
Parboiling the peppers is what keeps them from tasting raw and crunchy at the edges after baking; don't skip it.
Pack the filling in firmly with the back of a spoon so the peppers hold together neatly when sliced.
Choose peppers with flat bottoms so they stand upright on their own in the baking dish.
Use ground turkey or pork instead of beef for a lighter or different flavor profile.
Make it vegetarian by substituting the beef with black beans and extra rice.
Swap bell peppers for poblano peppers for a slightly smokier, earthier version.
Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat covered in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or microwave individually until warmed through.
Stuffed peppers reflect the broader Spanish and Caribbean tradition of using picadillo-style fillings inside vegetables, and ajies rellenos remain a common Sunday family dinner across Cuban households.
Yes - assemble the stuffed peppers up to a day ahead, refrigerate, then bake when ready, adding about 5-10 extra minutes to the covered baking time since they'll start cold.
They were likely parboiled too long. Blanch for just 3-4 minutes so they still have some structure left to bake further in the oven.
Yes - freeze the fully baked and cooled peppers individually wrapped for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Per serving (340g / 12.0 oz) · 4 servings total
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