Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipe

What is it about stuffing food with food that is so good? This is another of those leftover recipes. After making the braciole I had leftover sauce. A couple nights later I made brown rice and there was leftover brown rice, as well. I wanted to use them up and I had 2 bell peppers and 1 portobello mushroom that I wanted to use so the natural thing to do was stuff the bells with the leftovers and the mushroom.

There are several varieties of bell pepper plants. While they are all bell peppers the fruit they produce will vary in color. The most common bell peppers are green, yellow, and red and those three colors are the same variety in varying stages of ripeness. There are chocolate bell peppers which, when fully ripe, range from purple to dark brown, or chocolate. There are purple bell peppers which produce a beautiful purple pepper.

Brown rice stuffed bell pepper recipe with mushroom, onion, garlic, and Pecorion Romano.

Cut the tops off the bell peppers and clean out the inside, removing any stray seeds and the white pith.

Divide the mushroom mixture between the bell peppers, scooping it into the bottom of the peppers. Add a couple tablespoons of the tomato sauce on top of the mushroom mixture.

Combine enough tomato sauce with the rice so that the sauce just coats the rice.  Fill each pepper with the rice mixture. Spoon a little tomato sauce over the tops, like I did to the pepper on the left.

Top each pepper with shaved Pecorino cheese.

Brown Rice Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipe

• Yield: 2 to 4 servings
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 bell peppers
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil to coat
• 1 portobello mushroom, diced
• 1/4 large red onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 cups brown rice, cooked - See Recipe -
• 1 cup marinara, or any leftover tomato sauce
• 1 ounce Pecorino Romano

Method

1. Cut the tops off the bell peppers and clean out the inside, removing any stray seeds and the white pith. Set aside.
2. Add enough olive oil to a 10 inch non-stick fry-pan to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the mushrooms, onions and garlic to the pan. Cook over medium-low heat until the onion is translucent and the mushrooms are cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Prepare a baking pan, just large enough to accommodate the peppers. Here I used a 9 x 3 loaf pan because I only made two peppers. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over the bottom of the pan.
   
4. Divide the mushroom mixture between the bell peppers, scooping it into the bottom of the peppers. Add a couple tablespoons of the tomato sauce on top of the mushroom mixture.
5. Place the peppers in the pan ensuring that they remain standing.
   
6. Combine enough tomato sauce with the rice so that the sauce just coats the rice. Fill each pepper with the rice mixture. Spoon a little tomato sauce over the tops of the peppers. Then top each pepper with shaved Pecorino cheese.
7. Bake in a 350 oven until the peppers are cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes.

To Serve

1. Place a pepper on a plate and top with a sprinkle of Pecorino cheese.

Notes

1. This is a great stuffed bell pepper recipe. It's versatile in that you can easily make it vegetarian or vegan by using marinara rather than meat sauce and omitting the cheese. Being created with leftover sauce and brown rice it's quick and easy.