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Stuffed Bell Pepper

A vegetarian dish that I cooked so it could be photographed. I made this stuffed bell pepper to be the subject for my daughter’s photography class. Hence, the careful plating. But because it was also meant to be my daughter’s lunch, I made sure it was as delicious as it looked.

Bell pepper stuffed with rice and topped with grated cheese

A tip for making stuffed bell pepper: Choose a large one that is more spherical than elongated. A wide cavity is easier to fill than a deep one. A large bell pepper has a thicker “wall” too that will not turn soggy during baking.

Stuffed Bell Pepper

A full meatless meal for vegetarians, or a lovely side dish for omnivores, this stuffed bell pepper has rice, mushrooms and cheese, and is served with homemade chunky tomato sauce.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine International
Servings 1 person
Bell pepper stuffed with rice and topped with grated cheese
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 large bell pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • ½ cup cold cooked rice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped onion
  • ¼ teaspoon minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 2 to 3 fresh button mushrooms chopped
  • 2 tablespoons grated cheese plus more to garnish (see notes after the recipe)
  • 1 teaspoon chopped parsley plus more to garnish
  • chunky tomato sauce (we prefer homemade!)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375F.
  • Cut off the top of the bell pepper.
  • Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds andwhite membranes inside the bell pepper.
  • Brush inside and out with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
  • Mix together the rice, onion, garlic, paprika, mushrooms, cheese and parsley. Season with a quarter teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper.
  • Spoon the rice mixture into the cavity of the bell pepper.
  • Place the bell pepper on an oven-proof dish.
  • Drizzle with olive oil.
  • Bake at 375F for about 15 minutes.
  • Spoon the chunky tomato sauce around the bell pepper to form a shallow pool. Drizzle some on top.
  • Sprinkle the stuffed bell pepper with more grated cheese and parsley. Serve.

Notes

Your choice of cheese will affect the texture of the rice stuffing as well as its flavor. If using hard mature cheese which is saltier that soft ones, you might need to reduce the amount of salt.
Stuffed Bell Pepper with Chunky Tomato Sauce on Yellow Plate
Photos by my daughter, Sam.
Updated from a recipe originally published in December 1, 2014
Keyword Cheese, Meatless, Rice
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