Recipe Test: Stuffed Peppers

Credit:  stayathomesusie.com

Click here for original recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• Ground beef or turkey
• Brown rice
• Bell peppers 
• Garlic
• Onion
• Basil
• Parlsey
• Salt

I used to hate peppers.   I'd avoid any pepper - even sweet peppers like bells.  I knew they weren't hot (I've always had an issue with hot / spicy) but I just didn't like them.  In my adventures in cooking & eating more veggies this year I've learned I actually not only like them but truly LOVE them.  Red are my favorite, then yellow and orange. Green are good but I personally like the sweet flavor of the others.  I was telling Hubby how surprising to me how much I like them after so many years of avoiding them and he said "you should totally make stuffed peppers!"  ... I found a few recipes on Pinterest and put them in my 'Recipe Box - haven't made yet" board for later.   This is the first one I've tried.

The recipe called for the ground turkey (I chose to use beef) to be cooked fully and the rice to be cooked fully before stuffing the peppers and then cooking it all together for quite a while.   I found that the meat - especially that at the very top - ended up dry.  I wonder if maybe I left the rice a little soggy or the meat a little under-done and then let it finish cooking in the oven with the peppers if it would get rid of this?  Otherwise pretty good.  I'm also becoming quite the 'seasoner' of foods.  Salt & pepper are my fastest go-to's right now because they are easy ... but I'm getting braver in adding other things as I go.   I found this recipe needed quite a bit more seasoning than the recipe called for so I'd say if you try it and are brave - HAVE AT IT and have some fun!

Another thing that struck me was just how FILLING one was ... it looks like a small portion IN the pepper ...but when you cut it all up one pepper is a HUGE serving!