Stuffed Peppers
Did you know the average person has 10,000 tastebuds at birth? I don't know about you, but I eat COMPLETELY different than how I grew up. I was super picky most of my young life. It was with the help of a dear friend when I was living on Cape Cod the year after I graduated college who pushed me to try new things. "How do you know you don't like it if you've never tried it?" is what Lorene said as she offered me a bite of her lobster tail soaking in melted garlic butter. This was a monumental day for me because I absolutely LOVED that lobster tail. I think I ended up eating half of her dinner that night. She was right, and she opened up my eyes to at least take a bite. And the more foods I tried from then on, the more I started to diversify my palate.
My mom used to make these stuffed peppers quite often when I was growing up, and I never liked them. It's funny how your tastebuds change over time when you diversify your palate. Now I love stuffed peppers. These have the right combination of tomato sauce and cheese that gives this dish an excellent finished texture. You can see how the cheese leaves strings off the spoon when you're stuffing your peppers. This dish is hearty and healthy and gluten-free.
Recipe for Stuffed Peppers:
Ingredients:
4 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, I like red
1 pound ground turkey
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup cooked rice, I like jasmine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1 3/4 cup tomato sauce, divided, I like Rao's marinara
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
4-5 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the stems of the peppers by slicing off a thin slice across the top. Remove the seeds and membranes. Rinse the inside to make sure you get all the seeds out. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the peppers for 5-7 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil. Cook onions until they're fragrant and translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add ground turkey and brown it. Drain excess grease and return to the stovetop. Stir in the rice, salt, garlic salt, and 1 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce. Heat through. Remove skillet from heat and mix in 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
Stuff each pepper with the meat mixture. Stand them upright in an ungreased baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce over peppers. Cover dish and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Broil on high for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with parsley.
