This dish has all the flavors and “comfort food feel” of stuffed bell peppers, but–in my view–is easier to make. As an added bonus, it only uses one pot making for less clean-up. I have made this with ground beef and ground bison, but my favorite meat to use is ground turkey. In either case, the choice of liquid to use is up to you and what you have on hand. I usually use chicken stock, but once had some vegetable broth to use up and preferred that; I just don’t usually have vegetable broth around. And if using red meat, I would use a beef stock.
The recipe on which this one is based (see References below) uses twice the amount of peppers, rice, and liquid. I found this to be a little heavy on the rice, so reduced how much I use. I also found that when using ground turkey, the peppers were a little overpowering, so reduced those as well. While I have only used sharp cheddar cheese so far, I can see trying other cheese. I can also see adding some more herbs such as thyme with the meat, parsley after broiling, and/or basil with the tomato sauce.
This makes a bit of food for one person and is a little “heavy”, (especially if you use red meat), so might not be something you would want to eat too many times in a row. Fortunately, it freezes well and I usually do that with half of what comes out of the oven.
Timings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Wait: 55 minutes
Total: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Equipment Notes
- A 12 inch skillet with high sides and that can be placed in the oven is used for this. If the pan is not oven-safe, or you do not have one with at least 1 1/2 inch sides, I would use a Dutch oven.
Ingredients
- 1T olive oil
- 1lb ground turkey
- 2t kosher salt, divided
- 1 (about 2C) onion, diced
- 2t Worcestershire sauce
- 2T butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1t black pepper
- 1/2t smoked paprika
- 1/2t garlic powder
- 1 green bell pepper, cut in 1in squares
- 1 red bell pepper, cut in 1in squares
- 1/2C basmati rice
- 2C tomato sauce or puree
- 3/4C stock or broth of your choice (I tend to use chicken stock)
- 6oz cheddar, shredded and divided
Steps
- Add oil to a pan and put on medium high heat. Let warm until the oil starts to shimmer.
- Add turkey and push down into a thin layer evenly covering the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle 1t of salt over the meat. Cook for 4 minutes or until the turkey has some browning.
- Break up the meat, and add the onion and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and cook 5 minutes or until the onions start to turn translucent.
- Reduce heat to medium, add butter and garlic, and cook 1 minute stirring frequently.
- Add the paprika, onion powder, and pepper. Mix well and cook 1 minute.
- Add bell peppers and cook 3 minutes or until the peppers start to soften, but are still crunchy.
- Add the rice and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato sauce, beef broth, and the remaining 1t of salt. Stir and bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat.
- Add half the cheese and mix evenly.
- Bake in a preheated 375°F / 190°C oven for 45 minutes. Check if the rice is cooked to your liking. If it still crunchy, continue to bake checking for doneness every 5 minutes. When the rice is cooked, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and broil on high for 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted and just starting to have some char marks.
- Let rest 10 minutes before serving.