In this recipe, spicy, tomatoe casserole is added to sweet California peppers, a perfect harmony of flavors you can’t help but fall in love with.
Different from the stuffed peppers we’re familiar with, the recipe is still very similar in ingredients, and ground meat mixed with rice and tomato sauce complement the vegetables. The base is California peppers, filled with the juicy stuffing, then sprinkled with cheese and roast in the oven until done.
Although the resulting dish is light, it’s still very filling, and you’re guaranteed to enjoy it very much. You don’t want fatty or heavy foods in the heat, but stuffed vegetables like these are a must.
You can leave out the Italian herbs, and add thyme, marjoram or rosemary instead.
Ingredients for 4 servings
- 4 California peppers
- 500 g ground meat
- 1 red onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp oil
- 70 g rice
- 450 g tomato sauce
- Salt, pepper to taste
- 1 pinch of sugar
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 200 g mozzarella
Preparation
Peel and finely chop the onions, peel and grate the garlic.
Rinse the rice and cook according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and set aside.
While the rice is cooking, put another pan of water on to heat. Wash the peppers, cut the tops off with a sharp knife, and scoop out the stems. If the bottom of the peppers is very uneven, use an object to prop them vertically. Cook the prepared vegetables in boiling water for 5 minutes and then drain and -place them in a baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
Heat up the oil in a deep frying pan, and then add the onions and sauté until soft. Add the ground meat, season with salt and pepper and sauté until it turns white. After 1 minute, add the tomato sauce, oregano, basil and sugar. Wait for the mixture to simmer a little, adding salt if necessary. Remove from the heat.
Stir the cooked rice into the ground meat mixture.
Divide the filling between the 4 peppers, and spoon into them filling the peppers all the way to the top. Bake into the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove the peppers, sprinkle with grated cheese and return to the oven for 15 minutes until the cheese is nicely browned. Serve immediately.