Original from Ree Drummond on The Food Network with modifications by Debra Steppel. https://www.mastercook.com/app/Recipe/WebRecipeDetails?recipeId=13194422.
All stuffable outer layers should fit into 2 9"x13" glass Pyrex dishes; any leftover filling can be used to stuff large button mushrooms. Serves 8 for dinner.
Ingredients
20 large vegetables to stuff: 6-8 bell peppers of any color, 4-6 firm large tomatoes, and 2-3 large white or yellow onions (each onion will generate 4-6 stuffable layers)
olive oil for drizzling and coating inside of pan
1 box of large white button mushrooms from Costco
4 lbs. lean ground meat (any combination of beef, turkey, and/or veal)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 cloves garlic, chopped
Insides of tomatoes, seeded and finely diced (see Mise en Place)
Insides of onions, finely diced (see Mise en Place)
Red pepper flakes, as needed
~1 cup cooked rice (or leftover seasoned restaurant rice)
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese (optional to make pareve)
12 oz mozzarella cheese (sliced or shredded) (optional to make pareve)
Mise en Place
Cut the tops off the peppers. Remove and discard the stems, then finely chop the tops and set them aside. Scoop out the seeds and as much of the membrane as you can. Place the peppers cut-side up in a baking dish just large enough to hold them upright.
Cut the tops off the tomatoes. Remove and discard the core and any bad spots. Cut off the top to create an opening wide enough to fill. Hollow out enough of the insides to fill (I used a 1/2-serrated frosting spreader) but keep the "walls" thick enough to be firm when filled. Place the tomatoes cut-side up in a baking dish just large enough to hold them upright.
Remove outer skins and only the smallest possible amount off both ends of 2-3 large onions. Cut them in half to create "cups" from each large onion. Par-boil the onions in water for approximately 5-10 minutes, until a few of the outer layers can be removed without breaking. (Use the larger outer layers to stuff, while the centers will be diced and used in the filling.)
Clean some of the mushrooms and remove stems. Chop the stems to be included in the filling.
Coat bottom and sides of 2 glass 9"x13" pans with olive oil.
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Par-bake the pepper shells for about 15 minutes while the oven is preheating.
2. Heat a splash of the olive oil in a large skillet (with tall sides) over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat, season with salt and pepper and cook, breaking up the lumps, until the meat is cooked through and just beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain fat. Remove to a paper-towel-lined container.
3. Wipe out the skillet. Add the diced onion insides and chopped peppers (can do peppers in a separate small frying pan) and cook on Medium High heat until glassy, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and mushroom stems and cook for another minute. Add the tomato insides and season with salt and a pinch or 2 of red pepper flakes. Cook until everything is heated through, then stir in the cooked ground meat and rice. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in 1 cup of the parmesan (if using cheese).
4. Fill the peppers, tomatoes, and onion halves with the rice/meat mixture and top each with a sprinkle of the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan. Pour a 1/4" of water into the bottom of the baking dish and drizzle the stuffed vegetables with a little olive oil.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the vegetables are soft and the cheese is melted, another 15 to 20 minutes. Then broil just long enough to brown the tops (watching carefully so they don't burn).
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