I don't know about you, but I love the taste of stuffed peppers but think they're way too much work.
My mom gave me this recipe for "unstuffed" peppers some years ago, and it's the only way I've made them since. It has all the goodness of the stuffed version, but it saves you time and effort by cooking it all in one skillet and eliminating the stuffing and baking steps.
Let's get right to the recipe instead of my life story. You can continue reading afterward for some tips and resources.
Unstuffed Stuffed Peppers
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 c. chopped green pepper
1 c. salsa
dash basil
salt and pepper to taste
2 c. hot cooked rice
4 oz. cheddar, shredded
Directions:
Brown the beef and onion.
Reduce the heat, add peppers, and continue cooking 5-8 min., stirring frequently, until peppers are crisp-tender.
Add salsa, seasonings, rice, and cheese. Stir and heat until cheese melts.
Tips
If you have a garden, keep this recipe handy during bell pepper season! I've found this recipe to be one of the best and easiest ways to use up an excess of peppers. You can also swap the salsa for chopped tomato if you like. That's what the original recipe called for, but I prefer the flavor of salsa, and it's something I always have on hand – unlike fresh tomatoes.
If you have a quick cooker/Instapot, I like to start the rice in that first, so it's done about the time I need to add it to the beef. I use brown rice, and the quick cooker is the fastest and most reliable way I've found to cook it. No simmering on the stovetop and worrying whether the heat is too high or too low. It just comes out perfectly every time.
I use sharp cheddar cheese for maximum flavor. The original recipe called for Velveeta, but I could never bring myself to use fake cheese.
Sourcing Resources
If you're like me and care about the quality of your groceries, here are some resources you can use to make sure you're using healthy foods:
- Grass-fed ground beef – higher in nutrients than commercially raised beef, and it's not coming from sick, washed-up dairy cows like so much grocery store beef
- American-grown organic brown rice – more nutrients than white rice
- Organic bell peppers and onions – I don't worry so much about onions, but bell peppers are on the "dirty dozen" list of produce with the most pesticide residue
- Salsa – I make my own using the linked recipe and produce from my garden
- Cheddar cheese – made with grass-fed, organic milk
If you'd like more healthy(ish) recipes, you can click on the recipe tag, or for more grocery resources, check out the blog Where to Find Healthy Groceries.
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