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Stuffed Peppers



This is a delicious simple make-ahead weeknight meal. Everyone seems to love stuffed red peppers. Serve with a side salad and you have a happy family.
Course Main
Cuisine Canadian
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 20
Author Valerie Lugonja

Ingredients

Ingredients for Peppers:

  • 10 large sweet red bell peppers , cleaned, seeded and halved (stems remain on)

Ingredients for Rice:

  • 2 cups long grain rice
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for Filling:

  • 3 cups chopped onion or 3 medium onion
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 tablespoon Vegeta
  • 2 tablespoons really good quality Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • lots of freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 packages frozen , oven dried tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 5 pounds know-your-farmer ground beef
  • 1 pound know-your-farmer bacon , sliced into lardons
  • 1 tablespoon Vegeta
  • lots of freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder

Ingredients for the Topping:

  • 2 cans tomato soup (yes, I use Campbells)
  • 1/2 cup golden brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons French's dry mustard

Instructions

Instructions for the Peppers:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F; place cleaned and halved peppers on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper
  2. Drizzle peppers liberally with olive oil; bake for 20 minutes
  3. Cool until needed

Instructions for the Rice:

  1. Bring water to a boil; add salt and rice
  2. Cook 20 minutes with lid on
  3. Strain 4 cups of semi-cooked rice from the pot and set aside

Instructions for the Vegetables:

  1. Saute the onions in the oil until translucent; add Vegeta, paprika, salt, pepper, tomatoes and garlic powder
  2. Add water if needed to thaw tomatoes
  3. Cook on low until tomatoes are thawed and all melded together; add rice
  4. Continue to stir and cook on low until all liquid is absorbed and a path can be left by a spoon; set aside

Instructions for Meat:

  1. Fry bacon until translucent; add beef, one pound at a time, stirring constantly to brown and break into crumbles
  2. Add seasonings
  3. Once meat is almost completely browned, taste and adjust seasoning
  4. Add rice and vegetable mixture to the meat mixture; stir well to combine and cool to touch

Instructions for Stuffing the Peppers:

  1. Drain the liquid that has collected inside of each pepper back into the filling; stir it in
  2. Fill each half with 3/4 cup of the filling, mounding it on top
  3. Place filled peppers on clean cookie sheet with clean parchment paper; freeze overnight
  4. Package individually in freezer bags, wrapped very well first, labelled and dated, until needed OR
  5. Place peppers in casserole dish; bake at 400F for 20 minutes until bubbling and hot
  6. Cover with tomato sauce or cheese or both; serve immediately

Instructions for the Topping:

  1. Combine all ingredients and top each pepper with sauce before baking

Instructions for Freezing:

  1. If freezing, it is best to freeze peppers without sauce on parchment lined sheet pan overnight, then top frozen peppers with sauce and fast freeze overnight again

  2. Wrap tightly, label and date individually once frozen

Recipe Notes

Do not drain fat off the bacon if your beef is ultra lean; it will add flavour and some needed fat