Zucchini Stuffed Bell Peppers
Our Sunday tradition is waking up early, going to the dog park, and grabbing coffee. It’s usually on that Sunday morning stroll at the park that I look over at my husband and say “What should I make this week?” I have an ongoing list of ideas on my phone, but sometimes I need a fresh perspective. Kory’s immediate response this week was “stuffed bell peppers” - and to be honest that sounded great to me too. We are definitely in that in between season where the sun is out, but it’s still freezing cold. It’s almost April and we’re all craving warmer weather and fresh flavors, but also still in need of some comforting food on these chili days. I actually think stuffed bell peppers are the perfect transition meal. You’ve got the crisp flavorful bell peppers that remind you spring is on the way, but the filling feels comforting and cozy. It really is such a delicious meal, and so easy to make!
Bell peppers - You can use any color you want! Bell peppers are so crisp with so much flavor. I love them baked like this, but they are also yummy sliced and eaten with hummus or other dips!
Ground beef - You could also use ground turkey or ground chicken, but I like the flavor of the ground beef in this recipe.
Zucchini - Why stop with the bell peppers?! It’s fun to get creative with different ingredients, and I knew zucchini would be the perfect addition to this meal.
Crushed tomatoes - Canned goods are underrated. They are a simple way to add some additional flavor to meals and they are super versatile and easy to cook with (no prep!).
Cumin - There’s already so much flavor going on with the vegetables in this dish that you really only need a little bit of cumin to enhance everything.
Fresh shaved cheddar cheese - You gotta shave it fresh, just trust me it will taste so much better. Cheese is mixed into the filling and added on top! Also it’s also nice to have a block of cheddar cheese around to cut and eat with crackers as a snack. :)
Zucchini Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 (10 oz) bag frozen brown rice (I use Trader Joe's)
- 3 bell peppers
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 2 zucchini cubed into bit size pieces
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped fine
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp. cumin
- Dash of salt and pepper
- 3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes (~1/2 of a 14 oz can)
- 3/4 cup fresh shaved cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Microwave bag of frozen rice. Set aside for later use.
- Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook for about 10 minutes, or until meat is cooked through, stirring occasionally.
- Remove ground beef from pan and place on a paper towel lined plate to remove any extra grease.
- In the same skillet, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add zucchini, yellow onion, garlic, cumin, and salt and pepper. Let sauté about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in crushed tomatoes and let cook 3 more minutes.
- Remove from heat and immediately stir in rice, add ground beef back in, and 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheddar cheese.
- Cut off tops of bell peppers, and then cut in half length wise. Remove seeds. Place in a casserole dish with cut side up.
- Add the ground beef, rice, and vegetable mixture to each bell pepper. Mine overflowed a little bit and that's okay!
- Add remaining 1/4 cup of cheese to the top of the bell peppers.
- Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 more minutes.