Empanada-Style Stuffed Peppers
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
The flavors of empanadas work deliciously in a stuffed pepper.
Author:
Recipe type: Vegetable
Cuisine: Vegetable
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 c. jasmine or other rice, cooked
  • 2 extra large Bell peppers (red or green), halved & seeded
  • 1 Tb. olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ lb. ground beef
  • 1 Tb. tomato paste
  • 1 c. beef stock
  • ¼ c. golden raisins
  • ½ c. pitted green olives, chopped
  • ¼ tsp. cumin
  • ¼ tsp. paprika
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • Tomato sauce or brown gravy to serve on the side or top the pepper
Instructions
  1. Prepare rice according to package directions. Set aside when cooked.
  2. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Place pepper halves in a 9X13 baking dish.
  4. Add olive oil to a saute pan and heat to medium/high. Add the onion, garlic and beef. Cook until meat is browned then remove excess fat.
  5. Add tomato paste and stir in to allow it to 'melt' into the meat.
  6. Add stock, raisins, olives and seasonings; mix to combine. Simmer on low a few minutes for the flavors to combine, then add rice and mix again.
  7. Stuff each pepper half with as much filling as it will hold.
  8. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the baking dish.
  9. Cover with foil and bake about 30 minutes. You'll know they're cooked when a knife inserted into the pepper comes out clean.
Notes
1) If you don't have tomato sauce or gravy on hand, maybe some tasty cheese added to the peppers just before taking them out of the oven would be a welcome addition! Simply remove the foil about 5 minutes before they're finished cooking, top each pepper with your favorite shredded cheese, pop back in the oven for a few minutes, and you're in business.
2) If you find you just can't stuff any more filling into a pepper, don't toss the extra filling! It makes a yummy accompaniment to scrambled eggs, with sautéed veggies, or simply as a snack by itself :)
Recipe by My Delicious Blog at https://www.mydeliciousblog.com/empanada-inspired-stuffed-peppers/