Chef John's Stuffed Peppers

This is the best stuffed peppers recipe, easy and delicious. Its roots can be traced back to the Great Depression, when farmers first began selling the unripe peppers out of necessity. Of course, we did what Americans always do when faced with a new variety of food, we stuffed meat in it.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins
• Calories: 377 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups water
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
• ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• ¼ pound hot Italian pork sausage, casing removed
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for topping
• 4 large green bell peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

Bring rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the cooked rice aside.

Step 3

Make sauce: Cook onion and olive oil over medium heat until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Transfer 1/2 of the cooked onion to a large bowl and set aside.

Step 4

Stir marinara sauce, beef broth, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes into the skillet with cooked onion; cook and stir for 1 minute.

Step 5

Pour sauce mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.

Step 6

Combine ground beef, Italian sausage, diced tomatoes, Italian parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper into the bowl with reserved onions; mix well. Stir in cooked rice and Parmigiano Reggiano. Stuff green bell peppers with beef and sausage mixture.

Step 7

Place stuffed green bell pepper halves in the baking dish over tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano, cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Step 8

Remove aluminum foil and bake until the meat is no longer pink, the green peppers are tender and the cheese is browned on top, an additional 20 to 25 minutes.