There are a lot of things that I don’t understand, like how calculus works, and why dad shoes were ever a popular fashion trend. Something that has often confused me is the presence of rice in a stuffed pepper. Rice has its place, but of all the filling and delicious things you could put in a bell pepper, rice seems like a bland choice. Bell peppers are already kind of bland by themselves, and if you’re making them the star of the show, the filling really needs to burst with interesting flavors.
This version of a stuffed pepper was inspired both by the leftovers in my fridge, and my craving for something that would really satisfy me, without being absurdly bad for me. (What else is new?) I started with some cooked ground beef and leftover crumbled breakfast sausage. The sausage is one of the things that makes the dish, because it’s very flavorful and fatty, without being overpowering. The fat content is important because it helps make these peppers an extremely satiating dinner choice, even though they’re heavy on the veggies.
This is one of those recipes that’s endlessly adaptable, which could be why there are a million versions already in existence. For these, I sautéed diced onions, garlic, butternut squash, and chopped cherry tomatoes in olive oil, added the cooked meat and a few tablespoons of cream cheese, and it kind of tasted like a miracle. A gooey, cheesey, fragrant miracle. A little cumin and salt, along with some scallions, go in at the end to make the flavor really pop – honestly you don’t even need the peppers, you could just eat the filling straight from the pan. The finished product is something like healthier queso fundido-stuffed peppers, because in all honesty, I’d eat the filling straight from the pan with a bag of chips.
The filling can be made completely ahead, and then just heated up when you’re ready to stuff the peppers. They only take about 25 minutes in the oven, so if you prep ahead this is a pretty quick dinner. Bobby and I typically have a pepper each, and are truly groaning about how full we are by the time we’re done eating. I’m about to make them to take photographs for this post and I’m practically drooling over my keyboard as I type!
Grain-Free Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 bell peppers, halved, seeds removed
- 4 slices provolone cheese
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced small
- 1/2 cup butternut squash, diced small
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 16 oz ground beef, cooked and drained
- 4 oz crumbled breakfast sausage, cooked and drained
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsps cumin
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- 1/2 cup cheddar jack, shredded, optional
Instructions
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Place half a slice of provolone into each pepper half. Set peppers on a baking sheet lined with foil, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, or parchment paper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Sautee onions, butternut squash, and cherry tomatoes in olive oil until soft. Add garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir in cooked ground beef and cooked sausage, softened cream cheese, and remaining ingredients. When everything is evenly mixed, spoon mixture into the peppers – you may have some leftover. Top each pepper with a sprinkle of cheddar jack or any cheese you have on hand – this is more for appearance than flavor, so skip if you like.
4. Bake peppers for 25-30 minutes. They're done when the peppers are soft enough to pierce easily with a fork.
* I've used ground turkey in these before, and while still tasty, I've found that the results are decidedly better with beef.