Chef Jay's
Stuffed Pepper Recipe

As a child, my mom never could get me to eat a stuffed pepper. Sure, I would eat the stuff out of the inside, it was pretty much just hamburger and rice, how could you go wrong? But I didn't like to eat the bell pepper, well, that is until I actually tried it. Now, I eat peppers with almost every meal.

Below, you'll find Mom's original stuffed pepper recipe, pretty simple, basically hamburger and rice stuffed in a green pepper. Then I'll show you how easy it is to add a little heat to an old favorite. Or a lot of heat;)

I hope you enjoy these stuffed pepper recipes as much as I do. I always try to use the biggest peppers I can find. Try some red and yellow ones for variety, they have a little less bite than the green peppers.

If you can't find the chipotles in adobo sauce at your local grocer, ask him if he can order them for you. Trust me, once you try them, you'll be hooked.

Mom's Stuffed
Bell Pepper Recipe

Directions:
Begin by preparing the peppers. Simply cut off the tops and scoop out the seeds and veins with your hand, and wash thoroughly. Blanch the peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes, remove and allow to dry on a towel.

Brown meat in a pan, drain grease from meat after browned. Combine meat, cooked rice and tomato sauce in a bowl and mix together. Salt and pepper to taste. Now, spoon the mixture into each pepper, filling to the top.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 1 quart, ungreased casserole dish, stand each stuffed pepper close together, and cover the bottom of the dish with water. This will allow the peppers to cook more evenly.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

When done, carefully remove each stuffed pepper from the dish with a large spoon. One stuffed pepper is a meal in itself. You can serve as is, add a salsa for a little different taste, add some cheese, use your imagination!

Chef Jay recommends: With a tomato based dish such as this, what I like to do is add some heat. My favorite method is to add some pureed Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce. As I mentioned earlier, you should be able to find them at your local grocer. To puree the chipotle in adobo sauce: Just pour the chiles from the can into a blender and mix until smooth. Save the leftover chipotle puree in an airtight container in your refrigerator, it will last for quite a while. There are many uses for the chipotle puree, try it with everything. *Chili*

Chef Jay's
Chipotle Stuffed Peppers