Mock Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Recipe Tweaking Confession

I think it’s about time I come clean.

“Hello, my name is Sharon and I am a recipe tweaker.”

There . . . I admitted it.

All my life, I have been incapable of following a specific recipe. You see, I have this critical eye that reads a recipe and sees something that I believe should be changed—always. It never fails. Therefore, I have never followed a recipe to the T. Usually, the tweaking that I do makes a recipe easier and less complicated.

I received a request from a family member who had a taste for stuffed peppers. As I looked at an old recipe of my mother’s, I really didn’t want to go through the effort of cleaning out the peppers and stuffing them and then using the oven. You see, I’m all about keeping it simple.

This is a one-pot—on-the-stovetop—recipe. (Okay, okay, so you use a second small pot for the rice.) But it’s quick and so delicious, and it tastes just like stuffed peppers.

Now, most people think of stuffed peppers using only green bell peppers. For this recipe, I use three colors of bell peppers for a little sweeter flavor and a whole lot of color.

There are many health benefits and interesting facts about bell peppers.

Interesting Facts About Bell Peppers

Vibrant bell peppers add more than just flavor and color to a recipe. They also add fiber, nutrients, and antioxidants to your diet.

• Bell peppers have been called the “Christmas ornaments” of the vegetable world. They have also been called “traffic light peppers” because of their most popular colors of red, yellow, and green.
• Bell peppers are not “hot.”
• Scientifically known as Capsicum annuum, bell peppers are members of the “nightshade family,” which also includes tomatoes, eggplant, and potatoes.
• The high fiber in bell peppers can help lower cholesterol levels and also assist in digestion regulation.
• Just one cup of bell peppers contains more than 100% of the daily value of vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps our immune system and supports healthy tissues.
• In addition, bell peppers provide folate to support the function of our red blood cells.
• Bell peppers are also a great source of potassium helping to enhance our muscle function and also regulate blood pressure. Note that red and yellow bell peppers contain a higher amount of potassium than green bell peppers.
• One cup of chopped bell peppers is no more than 40 calories, making them a great addition to recipes and a healthy option for snacking.

Speaking of recipes . . . let’s get started with this great mock stuffed pepper recipe.

Ingredients for Mocked Stuffed Peppers

• 2 pounds browned, lean ground beef
• 1 cup diced onion (yellow or sweet)
• 1 cup diced (about 1 large) red bell pepper
• 1 cup diced (about 1 large) yellow bell pepper
• 2 cups diced (about 2 large) green bell peppers
• 1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cups cooked white rice (I use instant rice)
• 1 tablespoon salt (I like to use Kosher salt)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cook Time for Mocked Stuffed Peppers

Instructions for Mock Stuffed Peppers

1. In a medium-sized stock pot, brown 2 pounds of ground beef. Add a little olive or canola oil to the pot if the meat is sticking.
2. Add 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper while the ground beef is browning.
3. Add 1 cup each of diced onion, red and yellow bell peppers, and 2 cups of diced green bell peppers. Cook down the vegetables on medium heat while occasionally stirring for about 1/2 hour. Do not remove the liquid that will occur from the vegetables.
4. Add one 29-ounce can of tomato sauce and continue heating on low.
5. In a separate pot, make 2 cups of instant rice according to the directions on the box. You can also use cooked long-grain white or brown rice.
6. Add the rice to the rest of your ingredients and mix well.
7. You are now ready to serve. Note that this is one of those recipes that tastes even better the longer that it sits, and all the flavors continue to blend.

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Mock Stuffed Peppers Recipe Variations

I always like to tell people to be creative with their cooking. I am a perfect example of someone who tweaks recipes. Here's a couple thoughts for you to consider:

• Instead of using rice, try using Orzo pasta
• Add a clove of crushed garlic
• Serve over a bed of mashed potatoes
• Use ground turkey instead of beef

Mock Stuffed Peppers Recipe Photo Gallery

I like to give my readers photos of the recipe instructions as well to make it as easy as possible. This recipe is very simple.

Stuffed Pepper Soup Option

It's easy to turn this recipe into a stuffed pepper soup by simply adding these ingredients:

• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups (32 ounces) beef broth/stock (even chicken stock works well in this recipe)
• Water—if a thinner consistency is desired.

Note: You may wish to eliminate the tablespoon of salt until you taste test.

Hope You Enjoy!

I really appreciate all my readers and hope you love this recipe as much as I do.

Are you a recipe tweaker? What would you do to tweak this recipe? Let us know in the comment section below.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

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