Italian Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipes

Steps:

• WASH bell peppers; REMOVE 1- 1 1/2 inch off pepper tops levelly using a knife (reserve tops); REMOVE seeds and ribs from peppers with a tea spoon; PREHEAT oven to 350°F.
• PREPARE your favorite recipe for quick-cooking rice, to yield 2 cups rice; BROWN 1 pound bulk Italian sausage in a skillet and drain fat.
• INTO a large pot (with an accompanying vegetable steamer basket set aside) combine 2 cups water, 3 tablespoons white vinegar, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; INSERT steamer basket into pot; PLACE peppers cut-side down, along with pepper tops, into steamer insert in pot; COVER; BRING to boiling; BOIL for one minute; REDUCE heat to medium high. STEAM until tender yet firm (about 10 minutes).
• CAREFULLY remove peppers and tops from steamer basket using tongs and place onto onto paper towels to drain.
• DICE pepper tops around the stems (discard stems); STIR in the diced peppers and cooked sausage to cooked rice, along with 2 tablespoons of the parmesan cheese, and 3 tablespoons sliced black olives.
• POUR desired amount of marinara sauce into the rice/meat mixture to moisten; SEASON rice/meat mixture to taste with a little Italian seasoning and/or salt and pepper, if desired; BLEND.
• POUR enough marinara sauce into an 8 x 8 x 2 square baking dish, just to cover bottom; ARRANGE the steamed peppers upright in baking dish.
• STUFF peppers upright, mounding slightly, with the rice/meat mixture; POUR remaining marinara sauce over stuffed peppers.
• DIVIDE and distribute shredded mozzarella cheese over prepared peppers; SPRINKLE peppers with remaining parmesan cheese; TOP center of peppers with a whole black olive (or olive slice).
• BAKE peppers upright in a baking dish until heated through, about 10 minutes; SERVE and enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a roasting pan (large enough to accommodate 8 pepper halves in a single layer) with cooking spray.
• Combine the ground sirloin, Italian sausage, brown rice, Italian seasonings, salt, pepper, garlic, Parmesan cheese, egg, and 1/2 cup Classico® Tomato & Basil sauce in a large bowl. Mix until combined.
• Divide meat mixture evenly among the green pepper halves; press to compress slightly. Arrange halves in prepared pan. Spoon the remaining Classico® Tomato & Basil sauce onto the tops of the meat and peppers. Cover tightly with foil.
• Bake until the peppers are soft and internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees F, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove from oven. Remove foil and top each pepper with shredded cheese.
• Turn oven to broil. Place peppers, uncovered under the broiler. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Steps:

• Brown ground beef in large skillet and drain.
• Stir in spaghetti sauce, rice, 3/4 cup onions, olives and hot sauce.
• Stuff each pepper until meat sauce gone.
• Place cut side up in lined 13x9 inch pan.
• Bake covered for 35 minutes.
• Remove from oven.
• Top with the rest of fried onions, then shredded cheese.
• Return to oven, uncovered, and bake until golden brown and cheese melted,~5 more minutes.
• ENJOY.

Steps:

• In a large bowl mix together the cooked rice and the raw ground beef.
• Add the egg, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to your taste, and mix very well.(I find it's best to mix it with your hands like meatloaf.).
• Prepare the peppers by cutting them in half from top to bottom like an apple, so you have two identical halves. Take off the stem and remove the seeds.
• Fill the pepper halves equally with the rice mixture. Set them down in a 13x9" baking pan that you have put a little of the sauce on the bottom of first.
• Generously spoon sauce over the stuffed top of each pepper and then pour the remaining sauce around the peppers in the pan.
• Sprinkle the top with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
• Bake at 350°F until the peppers are very soft and tender when tested with a knife.(depending on your oven maybe an hour or so; mine takes longer because my oven is ancient:).
• Spoon the sauce over the peppers at least three or four times while they are cooking. The sauce will thicken slightly as you bake the peppers and get delicious and rich.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water, then set aside.
• Cut the tops off the peppers. Remove and discard the stems, then finely chop the pepper flesh from the tops and set aside. Scoop out the seeds and as much of the membrane as you can. Place the peppers upright in a baking dish just large enough to accommodate them.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and diced pepper tops. Cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Italian sausage, crumbling it as you go, and stir until it is cooked and nicely browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the marinara sauce and black pepper, then remove the skillet from the heat. Fold in the ricotta, half of the shredded mozzarella and the reserved pasta. Stir until well combined. Divide the mixture among the prepared peppers. Top the peppers with the remaining mozzarella and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Add 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the peppers are soft and the cheese is bubbly, another 15 minutes.
• Serve garnished with fresh basil.

Steps:

• Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the beef, mozzarella cheese, rice, onion, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper; spoon into peppers. Transfer to an oval 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. Pour tomatoes over peppers; pour broth around the sides., Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until a thermometer reaches 160° and peppers are tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and additional parsley.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender and fluffy; set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté carrots and onion until tender, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add pancetta or bacon and sauté until crispy. Add ground beef and sauté until browned; drain off any excess liquid and return to heat. Add marinara sauce, wine, and red pepper flakes, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cream, half of the Parmesan cheese, and rice. Simmer 5 minutes more, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
• Place peppers in a shallow baking dish, and fill with beef mixture. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and top with remaining Parmesan cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Serve hot.

Steps:

• For the Meatloaf, combine all of the ingredients and mix well (I use my hand for this).
• If you are making JUST the MEATLOAF, form it in a 9x13 greased pan and bake 400 degrees for 1 hour, basting with the pan juices.
• For the MEATLOAF, combine the MEATLOAF SAUCE ingredients in a saucepan, and heat on the stove to serve warm over the Meatloaf slices at the table.
• If you are making the ITALIAN STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS you will also get a meatloaf out of this.
• For the ITALIAN STUFFED PEPPERS cut the tops off the peppers and clean them out.
• Cut the tops up to use for the sauce.
• Put these in a pan with a little olive oil along with the onions, and garlic--simmer till done.
• Add the tomato sauce and simmer while you are preparing the stuffing for the peppers.
• Cook the rice according to box directions.
• Also, cut a tad off the bottom of the peppers so that they will sit in the pan and not tilt (don't cut through to the inside).
• Mix 3-4 cups of the Meatloaf recipe mixture, Parmesan cheese, garlic, a little of the sauce, and the cooked rice in a large bowl--adding the rice till it looks like the amount you like (I eyeball most all of the ingredients).
• Stuff the peppers and place in a pan on which you have already put a layer of sauce.
• Put some sauce over the tops of the peppers.
• Cover with foil.
• Form the rest of the mixture into a loaf as directed above.
• Bake both at 400 degrees for about 1 hour or till done.
• Now you have 2 meals--freeze some if you like.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place peppers in a greased baking dish; set aside. Place crumbled bread in a large bowl, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup water; set aside.
• Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over low heat. Saute onion until translucent, then stir in garlic. Let garlic cook for 2 minutes, then stir into bread. Add anchovies, olives, olive oil, black pepper and red pepper. Mix until well blended. Mound pepper halves with stuffing. Surround peppers with tomato sauce and a small amount of water. Cover with foil.
• Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until peppers are tender. Uncover for the last 15 minutes of baking, and baste occasionally with sauce.

Steps:

• Brown ground meat with onion and garlic. Add rice, water, and sauce. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is done.
• Meanwhile, shred cheese. Wash and split peppers or zucchini. Split the peppers into thirds or quarters, depending on size. Or split zucchini in half. Remove seeds from peppers or scoop out the seeded center of zucchini, leaving about 1/2 inch all around. Arrange peppers or zucchini in a 9"x13" or 10"x15" pan, hollow side up.
• When the meat-rice mixture is cooked, turn off heat. Add 1 1/2 cups cheese and stir until melted. Stuff the peppers or zucchini. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese and 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce. Bake uncovered at 350F for 30 minutes for peppers, or 45 minutes for zucchini, until heated through and sauce is bubbly.

Steps:

• Prepare rice according to directions; meanwhile, brown beef and onion until pan juices have evaporated.
• Remove to a large bowl.
• To meat add salt, oregano, pepper, rice, and 2 cups of spaghetti sauce.
• Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds and dry pulp.
• Stuff the peppers with the meat mixture and arrange in a baking pan or electric frying pan.
• Add remaining sauce and water to the pan.
• Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until the peppers are tender.
• Top with mozzarella cheese and heat till cheese melts, about 3 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the carrots and celery; cook and stir until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in ground beef and pancetta, and cook until browned and crumbled; drain off any excess liquid, and return to heat. Add marinara sauce, wine, and red pepper flakes, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cream, half of the Parmesan cheese, and rice. Simmer 5 minutes more, or until most liquid has absorbed.
• Place peppers in a shallow baking dish, and fill with beef mixture. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and top with remaining Parmesan cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Serve hot.