Stuffed Peppers

I had two red peppers that were starting to wrinkle, a half pound of ground pork in the freezer,and a hunk of pepperjack cheese that was beginning to mold. Then fortune smiled on me when the NYT food newsletter landed with this excellent recipe for classic stuffed peppers; but with some improvements that for me lifted it from a ho-hum 50’s mainstay into something current and craveable. Credit goes to Lidey Heuck for a recipe that will go on repeat!

You could use whatever ground meat you have on hand; beef, turkey, chicken or pork (which I found a great choice.) I had no fennel but celery worked fine; and maybe better if you’re not crazy about fennel. The wine adds a lovely flavor, and a bag of frozen brown rice from Trader Joe takes all of 3 minutes in the microwave to make this an easy weeknight dinner.
My husband doesn’t have fond memories of his mother’s version of this dish (Sorry Barb) but was totally into this after the first bite. I will definitely make this again soon; you can stuff the peppers up to 24 hours before baking and use leftover take-out rice as well.

4 large red, orange,or yellow bell peppers

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 cup finely chopped fennel bulb (about 1/2 a small bulb) or celery

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (about 1 small)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 pound ground beef (at least 15 per cent fat), turkey, pork or chicken

3/4 cup dry white wine, chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 14 oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (see note below)

1 1/2 tsp. black pepper, plus more to taste

1 cup cooked white or brown rice

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley, plus more for serving(optional)

1 cup shredded mozzarella, provolone or other semi-firm cheese

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and carefully remove core, seeds, and ribs using a paring knife. Arrange the peppers, cut-sides up, in a 9-by-13-inch pan or other baking dish in which they fit snugly.

In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the fennel and onions and cook, stirring occasionally,until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, for 3 to 5 minutes, until no longer pink.

Add 1/2 cup wine, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan,until the liquid in the pan is reduced by half.

Add the tomatoes and their juices, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the rice, Parmesan and parsley, if using. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Divide the mixture among the peppers. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup wine into the bottom of the dish, wrap tightly with foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a paring knife easily pierces the peppers. Remove the foil and spoon any juices that have accumulated in the bottom of the pan onto the peppers. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly onto the peppers and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Allow the peppers to cool for 5 minutes, sprinkle with parsley if using, and serve hot. Serves 6 to 8.

Note: I was making half the recipe, so only needed half a can of tomatoes. I did have an open jar of Raos marinara sauce in the frig, so substituted that and think that added some great additional flavor. Pepperjack cheese was also a flavor boost! Sorry this photo is a bit distorted!