Monday, July 21, 2014

Unstuffed Green Peppers

When I was a child, my mom made stuffed green peppers.  I didn't like green peppers (except for raw) at the time so having a large cup made out of cooked green peppers didn't appeal to me.  I don't mind cooked peppers now but I find it much easier and faster to make this way.  If you want freezer meals for later this is the route to do it.

It is also a great way to get the green peppers into the dish for the picky eaters.  You can cut them as small as you like or even blend them.  They'll disappear even more after you add the tomato sauce. 

I use brown rice any more in my dishes so I'll give you the white rice version and you can change it up to match your brown rice/water measures and cooking times since brown rices can vary from brand to brand.


Unstuffed Green Peppers

1 pound ground beef
2/3 - 1 cup chopped green peppers
2/3 cup chopped onion
8 ounce can tomato sauce
1-2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
1-1/2 cup water
3/4 cup minute rice
1 -2 cup shredded Mexi blend cheese or 4 ounces Velveeta (optional)
Cook ground beef and veggies in skillet until meat is no longer pink and veggies are soft. Drain if needed.
Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire, rice, and water.   (I used Uncle Bens instant brown rice 1/2 cup rice and 1 cup water plus I added an extra 1/2 cup water.)

Cook on stove stirring occassionally for 10-15 minutes or until rice is cooked through. 


You have four options for serving:

You can add the Velveeta now, stirring while it melts, then eat.   

Put your meat mixture in a 1-1/2 to 2 qt baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until hot, sprinkle on shredded cheese and bake until melted (about 5 more minutes.) 

Serve in soft tortilla shells with or without sour cream (you can even add taco seasoning if you really want.) 

Lastly you can eat it like it is! 

I doubled the meat/veggies and sauce for our meal here so that is why it shows more meat to rice ratio.



FREEZER FRIENDLY:  Make extra.  Cool, put in vacuum seal bags and seal shut.  Great for nights you don't have time to cook a meal.

20 comments:

  1. I am not a fan of green peppers, cooked or raw but your recipe Jenny, has them chopped up so I think I just may have to make this since Mr. B LOVES stuffed peppers :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. My mom used to make the regular stuffed peppers too, I hated them. I still dont like them, I may have to try this recipe!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I always ate the insides but never the pepper part. This way works so much nicer!

      Delete
  3. Hi Jenny, I can't tell if you do or don't use brown rice anymore. If not, can you tell me why? I think is a great idea for a side dish. I think I'll try this combo with red peppers instead of the green. It will be delish!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have transferred over to using brown rice any more. It has more nutrients. I know some folks don't prefer it so I left the recipe with white rice instructions too. I use instant brown rice so it cooks faster. A nutritionist once told me that they blast holes into the rice and that is how it cooks faster.

      Delete
  4. This sounds really delicious! And what a great idea too :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. This looks so good! Not a big fan of green peppers, so having them in lil diced pieces definitely works for me. Thanks so much for sharing!

    B
    www.naughteebits.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is a great way to sneak in the veggies!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ok, never been a fan of the pepper actually stuffed, but love that you did the opposite here and so may have to try soon. Thanks Jenny :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Fabulous idea and one I must try very soon! Thanks for another great recipe. Carrie, A Mother's Shadow

    ReplyDelete
  9. My daughter will absolutely, without a doubt, love this. I'll have to make it for her when my schedule slows down. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. Pinned/shared

    ReplyDelete
  10. As a child we had stuffed peppers do and I was not a big fan either. As I have gotten older I have learned to love them. I love your recipe for the un-stuffed peppers. Anytime I can make extra and put it in the freezer is a bonus! Thanks for sharing.
    Blessings,
    Shari

    ReplyDelete
  11. Substitute red, yellow or orange peppers for the green peppers. I do this all the time in any recipe that calls for green peppers.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I made this for dinner tonight & it was a huge hit! Thanks so much for sharing! My 10 year old announced "oh, this one's a keeper!!" Thanks for that, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love to hear it when the young ones like a new dish (and one full of veggies!) Thanks for trying it out!

      Delete
  13. I'm going to mix up a batch of this for my hubby to enjoy for lunches! (I don't do peppers, but he loves stuffed peppers, so this is perfect for him!

    ReplyDelete
  14. This looks great! How many servings does the recipe make?

    ReplyDelete