Stuffed Bell Peppers - Old Fashioned Favorite

Garden fresh bell peppers stuffed with a seasoned meat and rice mixture and topped with cheese and a tomato gravy.

Stuffed Bell Peppers is a dish I remember so well growing up. Mom made them quite often, but the difference between my recipe and my moms is her homemade tomato gravy. When she made stuffed peppers she always made her gravy from scratch by preparing a roux with flour, butter and tomato sauce. 

I don't know what other ingredients she added and unfortunately I didn't have the chance to get the recipe before she passed away. My version is a bit more simplified and uses tomato soup, but it taste identical to my moms recipe. Moms homemade gravy was always the best, but until I can  hunt down the recipe, I will be using this version. 

I got this recipe over 25 years ago from my mother in law at the time. She was an awesome cook, so it was no surprise that these stuffed peppers would be anything but delicious. The first step in making a great stuffed bell pepper recipe is picking out good bell peppers.

When buying peppers at the grocery store or farmers market, always remember to look for firm and brightly colored peppers-they shouldn't feel soft or have that slightly wrinkled look. I am lucky enough to have a garden full of bell peppers in the summer so I can use homegrown peppers. 

Some people stuff their bell peppers with just a meat mixture, but mother always stuffed hers with meat and seasoned white rice. I add one can of tomato soup to the rice, but mother did plain rice and meat.

I think the addition of the tomato soup gives it a nice flavor. These peppers are so delicious that it's hard to eat just one, but trust me one pepper is plenty filling. These peppers make wonderful  leftovers the next day. Let's get started!!! 

Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the membrane and seeds. Rinse peppers under cold water and place on a paper towel. You will need to steam the peppers a bit before stuffing and baking them. To steam the peppers place the peppers in a large sauce pot and cover with cold water.

While the peppers steam, prepare and cook the rice and set aside. Bring the water to a simmer and cover the pot and steam the peppers for about 5  minutes. You want the peppers to be slightly soft. 

Remove peppers and rinse under cold water; set aside on a paper towel to drain and then add the peppers to a 13 x 9 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. 

In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and onion until the meat is no longer pink. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and drain off any grease. Add the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and cooked rice. Add (1) can of tomato soup (do not add any water) and gently mix together into the meat and rice mixture.

Spoon the meat and rice mixture into each pepper and top with a bit of shredded cheese. 

Place the filled peppers back into the baking dish.  

Cover the peppers with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven until the peppers are tender and heated through about 20 - 25 minutes. Remove the foil the last 10 minutes of baking. 

To make the tomato gravy, add the second can of soup to a small pot. Add 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, mix and simmer on low until heated through.

Pour the sauce over the cooked peppers when ready to serve.  

Yield: 4

Author: Tina Butler | Mommy's Kitchen

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Garden fresh bell peppers stuffed with a seasoned meat and rice mixture and topped with cheese and a tomato gravy.

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 55 Min

Ingredients

• 4 - 5 large green bell peppers
• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• 1  1/2 cups uncooked rice
• 3 cups water
• 1 - small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• onion powder, to taste
• garlic powder, to taste
• 1  10 ounce cans condensed tomato soup, undiluted
• 2/3 cup shredded pepper jack or mozzarella cheese

Tomato Gravy

• 1 10 ounce can Tomato Soup, undiluted
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the membrane and seeds.
3. Rinse peppers under cold water and place on a paper towel.You will need to steam the peppers a bit before stuffing and baking them.
4. To steam the peppers place the peppers in a large sauce pot and cover with cold water.While the peppers steam, prepare and cook the rice (1 1/2 cups rice to 3 cups water) and set aside.
5. Bring the water to a simmer and cover the pot and steam the peppers for about 5 minutes. You want the peppers to be slightly soft.
6. Remove peppers and rinse under cold water; set aside on a paper towel to drain and then add the peppers to a baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
7. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and onion until the meat is no longer pink. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
8. Remove from the heat and drain off any grease.Add the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and cooked rice. Add (1) can of tomato soup (do not add any water) and gently mix together into the meat and rice mixture.
9. Spoon the meat and rice mixture into each pepper and top with a bit of shredded cheese. Place the peppers back into the baking dish.
10. Cover the peppers with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven until the peppers are tender and heated through about 20 - 25 minutes. Remove the foil the last 10 minutes of baking.
11. To make the tomato gravy, add the second can of soup to a small pot. Add 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and mix and simmer on low until heated through.
12. Pour the sauce over the cooked peppers when ready to serve.

Notes:

You can swap out the tomato sauce for marinara sauce and top the stuffed peppers with an Italian cheese blend or Mozzarella cheese for Italian stuffed peppers. 

https://www.mommyskitchen.net/2009/04/stuffed-bell-peppers-old-time-favorite.html

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If you love stuffed peppers try my Hearty Bell Pepper Soup! This soup has all the ingredients and flavor of stuffed bell peppers in a soup form.   

For a vegetarian version of stuffed bell peppers try my recipe for Baked Bean Stuffed Peppers. This recipe is a meatless stuffed bell pepper, filled with Mexican corn, jalapenos, spices, baked beans and topped with pepper jack cheese!