Stuffed Bell Peppers, Greek Style

When I was very young, my grandparents frequently took us to eat at a cafeteria in North Hollywood, CA. I liked -- no I loved -- only one dish. It was their stuffed bell peppers. Part of what made them unique was their juices and sauce: it was tomato based but very translucent with a slightly sweet and tangy taste. I have yet to recreate the sauce but have developed a substitute which isn't too bad. However, I have in fact finally made the stuffing taste just like I remember it. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 325 Calories

Ingredients

• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• ¾ cup white rice
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 ¼ cups onion, chopped
• ½ teaspoon dried mint, crushed
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley to taste
• 6 green bell pepper, top removed, seeded

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and ground lamb; cook and stir until the onion is tender, and the meat is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Stir in the rice, salt, black pepper, and mint; cook 5 minutes longer. Add the water and parsley. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue cooking and stirring until the water has been completely absorbed by the rice, about 15 minutes. Stir the chicken broth and diced tomatoes together in an oven-proof dish that will just fit the peppers. Scoop the lamb mixture into the bell peppers, and place them into the dish.

Step 3

Bake in the preheated oven until the peppers are tender and the tomatoes are bubbly, about 45 minutes.