Classic Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers – the perfect hearty, healthy, all-in-one meal. It’s classic comfort food just like mom used to make!
I recently added a new recipe to my tried and true, go-to comfort food repertoire – stuffed peppers. Colorful, sweet bell peppers, stuffed with a savory meaty filling, and topped with delicious parmesan cheese; it’s a simple, no-fuss dinner option that I just have to share with you this week.
Most stuffed pepper recipes call for cooked white rice. This refined grain serves as a binder, helping to hold all the filling ingredients together. In an effort to add more whole grains to my diet, I decided to try cooked bulgur in place of white rice. Bulgur is an easy-to-prepare, mild-flavored whole grain made from wheat kernels that have been steamed, dried, and cracked. Because it’s steamed, the cooking time for bulgur is shorter than many other whole grains and is ready in about 20 minutes. There are four types or grinds of bulgur commonly available – fine, medium, coarse, and very coarse. Each type lends itself to different dishes and recipes. A fine or medium grind is great for a warm breakfast cereal. These finer grinds are also used in tabouli, a popular Middle Eastern salad. Coarse and very coarse bulgur work well in pilafs, soups, stews, casseroles, and of course, stuffed peppers.
From a health perspective, studies seem to show that people who consume more whole grains like bulgur, tend to have a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, digestive disorders such as diverticulosis and constipation, and some forms of cancer. Bulgur also provides a nice dose of dietary fiber, about 4 grams in a half-cup serving. From a taste perspective, the bulgur swap was a huge win.
For today’s recipe, cook the bulgur before adding it to the filling ingredients. To make tender, perfectly cooked bulgur, rinse a 1/2 cup of coarse bulgur under cold water and drain well. Bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan and stir in drained coarse bulgur. Once the water returns to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover, and allow the bulgur to simmer for 8 to 12 minutes, or until no liquid remains. Remove the pan from heat and let it stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff the bulgur with a fork and measure out 1 cup for use in this classic stuffed pepper recipe.
To your health,
Darlene
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CLASSIC STUFFED PEPPERS
Yield: 6 servings
Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
Prep: 20 minutes
Ready: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS
6 (5 ounces each) bell peppers (red, orange, yellow, or green)
3/4 pound ground sirloin
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup diced celery
2 cloves minced garlic
1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce
1 cup cooked coarse bulgur
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS
Prepare peppers by removing tops and seeds from peppers. Place seeded peppers in a large pot of boiling water and boil until tender but still firm enough to hold its shape; about 4 minutes. Remove peppers from water using tongs and place on paper towels to drain.
Prepare ground beef filling by cooking beef in a large saucepan over medium heat until crumbled and no longer pink. Remove accumulated fat from saucepan. Add onion, celery, and garlic to cooked ground beef and continue to cook until vegetables soften; about 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomato sauce, cooked bulgur, salt, and black pepper and cook until heated through; about 3 to 4 minutes.
Evenly stuff peppers with meat mixture, pressing down gently, and place in an ungreased, oven-safe baking dish. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top each stuffed pepper with 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese. Return to oven, set temperature to broil, and allow cheese to melt; about 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish stuffed peppers with fresh parsley and serve.
Nutrition Information per Serving
188 Calories, 6 g Total fat, 2.5 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 39 mg Cholesterol, 594 mg Sodium, 17 g Total carbohydrate, 4 g Dietary fiber, 9 g Total sugars, 0 g Added sugars, 16 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 86 mg (6%) Calcium, 3 mg (15%) Iron, 395 mg (8%) Potassium
© 2024 RECIPES MADE HEALTHY BY DARLENE ZIMMERMAN, MS, RD LLC
I haven’t made stuffed peppers in ages! This looks super. I will try this in the weekend. Thanks for sharing.
These look delicious Darlene! I’ve never thought about changing up the rice in this dish. I’ll look for a course grind bulgar during my next shopping trip. I do have farro in the house. Wondering if thst could be substituted if I want to make sooner than later? I might try it ;)