My Go-To Recipe for Stuffed Green Peppers

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil, or as needed
• 6 large green bell peppers, halved and seeded
• 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese

Step 1

Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the rice, give it a quick stir, then lower the heat, cover, and let it simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. While the rice cooks, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and drizzle a bit of olive oil into a 9x13-inch casserole dish to keep things from sticking.

Step 2

Boil some water in another pot and drop in the green bell peppers for just a few minutes—about 3—to soften them up a little. As soon as they’re done, transfer the peppers to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and keep them bright. Once cooled, arrange the peppers cut side up in your casserole dish.

Step 3

Now heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the ground beef until it’s nicely browned and crumbly, which should take around 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off any excess grease, then throw in the chopped onion and cooked rice. Pour in the tomato sauce and stir everything together.

Step 4

Add the garlic, coriander, cumin, cayenne, salt, and black pepper to the beef mixture, then let it simmer gently for about 10 minutes so all those flavors can meld. When it’s done, spoon about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mixture into each pepper half. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top, then cover the dish with foil.

Step 5

Pop the casserole into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. After that, take off the foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let it cool for a bit before serving, and enjoy!