Stuffed Peppers

The holiday season is upon us and with that comes lots and lots of entertaining. Whether it’s a dinner party you are hosting or a pot luck you were invited to, getting creative in the kitchen becomes so much more festive this time of year! Fancy china is dusted off to take its place at the elegantly set dining room table.  Decorations are dug out of boxes for their yearly show.  And, if you are like me, you want to entertain with ease — not having to spend too much time in the kitchen away from all the festivites. Stuffed Peppers allows you just that! Make the peppers ahead of time, toss in the oven 15-20 minutes before serving and go join the party!

Begin by slicing off the tops of each pepper and cleaning out the insides of all seeds and flesh. Rinse out with water and place upside down to dry.  While cooking the rice according to the packages directions, saute the onion, celery and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes. Next, add the mushrooms, salt, pepper and Herbes de Provence and saute for an additional 10 minutes. When the rice and the mushroom mixture are both done, combine them in a mixing bowl stirring in the parmesan cheese. Generously stuff each pepper with rice mixture and top with a slice of cheddar cheese. Place in baking dish and cook at 375º for 45 minutes.

Enjoy the Stuffed Peppers as an elegant side dish to any meal.

Ingredients:

1 box long grain and wild rice (cooked according to package directions)
½ red onion, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
6-8 mushrooms (any kind), diced
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
Dash or two of salt and pepper
4 peppers (any color), tops cut off and deseeded
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
4 thick cut slices of cheddar cheese

Makes four servings.

Tips for Success

• Pick sturdy peppers. Look for peppers with flat bottoms so they stand up on their own in the baking dish. If one wobbles, trim a very thin slice off the bottom, being careful not to cut a hole.
• Dry them well. Letting the peppers drain upside down keeps extra water from pooling in the bottom and making the filling soggy.
• Pack the filling firmly. Press the rice mixture in with a spoon so each pepper is full to the top. It settles a bit as it bakes.
• Add a splash of water to the dish. A few tablespoons of water in the bottom of the baking dish helps the peppers steam and soften without sticking.
• Check for tenderness. The peppers are ready when a knife slides easily into the side and the cheddar is melted and bubbly.

Ingredient Swaps and Variations

I love these as a vegetarian dish, but they are easy to change up for your family. For a heartier main course, brown half a pound of ground beef, turkey or Italian sausage and stir it into the rice mixture. Cook ground beef and sausage to 160 degrees F and ground turkey to 165 degrees F before mixing it in. Swap the wild rice blend for brown rice, quinoa or even leftover risotto. A handful of chopped spinach or a can of drained black beans makes a nice addition. Mozzarella, provolone or pepper jack can stand in for the cheddar on top. Red, yellow and orange peppers are a little sweeter than green, and a mix of colors looks so pretty on a holiday table.

Make Ahead and Storage

To get ahead for a party, stuff the peppers up to a day early, top them with the cheese, cover the baking dish and refrigerate. Cold peppers may need a few extra minutes in the oven. Leftover stuffed peppers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat them in a 350 degree F oven, covered with foil, for about 20 minutes, or microwave individual peppers until hot. Cooked peppers also freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

What to Serve With Them

As a side dish, they go beautifully with roast chicken, beef tenderloin or a holiday ham. For a vegetarian dinner, serve one pepper per person with a crisp green salad and some warm crusty bread.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use plain rice instead of a boxed mix?

Yes. Use about three cups of cooked rice and add a little extra Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper for flavor.

Should I cover them while baking?

I bake them uncovered so the cheese browns, but if the tops start to get too dark, lay a piece of foil loosely over the dish.

Mandy

Stuffed Peppers

Bell peppers filled with long grain and wild rice, sauteed vegetables, mushrooms, Herbes de Provence and parmesan, then baked with a slice of cheddar on top. An elegant make ahead side dish.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 box long grain and wild rice cooked according to package directions
• 1/2 red onion diced
• 2 stalks celery sliced thinly
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 to 8 mushrooms any kind, diced
• 1 tsp Herbes de Provence
• 1 to 2 dashes salt and pepper
• 4 peppers any color, tops cut off and seeded
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 4 thick cut slices cheddar cheese

Method

 

1. Slice the tops off each pepper and clean out all the seeds and flesh. Rinse with water and set upside down to dry.
2. Cook the rice according to the package directions.
3. Meanwhile, saute the onion, celery and garlic in the olive oil for 5 minutes.
4. Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper and Herbes de Provence and saute for 10 minutes more.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
6. When the rice and mushroom mixture are both done, combine them in a mixing bowl and stir in the parmesan cheese.
7. Generously stuff each pepper with the rice mixture and top with a slice of cheddar cheese.
8. Place the peppers in a baking dish and bake for 45 minutes.

Notes

Stuff the peppers ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake.