What's the best sauce to use for stuffed peppers?

Tomato sauce is excellent for stuffed peppers because it pairs so well with ground meat, rice, and peppers and ties them all together. You can use your favorite store-bought tomato sauce or make it homemade so you can control the flavor exactly to your liking.

Do you cook peppers before stuffing them?

There's no need to cook peppers before stuffing them. You only need to bake them with the stuffing inside, covered with foil for part of the cooking time, and they'll become soft and tender in the process.

Do you cut peppers in half for stuffed peppers?

You don't need to cut peppers in half for stuffing, but you certainly can. This may be a good idea if you have very large peppers or want to extend the number of servings.

How do you make stuffed peppers not watery?

You can avoid watery bell peppers by cooking the filling long enough (before filling the peppers) until it has the texture of a thick sauce.

Which way do you cut peppers for stuffed peppers?

For stuffed peppers, you can cut the top off of the pepper by slicing across the width of the pepper. However, if you have longer rather than wider peppers, you can cut them lengthwise and fill each half.

Stuffed Peppers with Tomato Sauce

Description

These stuffed peppers with tomato sauce are filled with a tasty mix of ground beef, rice, and tomato sauce and topped off with gooey melted mozzarella. A touch of balsamic vinegar adds depth, while rosemary and oregano make the dish extra flavorful.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
1 large sprig rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup cooked rice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4-5 bell peppers
4-6 ounces of mozzarella, grated or chopped

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Instructions

Prep the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Chop the onion and mince the garlic and rosemary.
Make the filling. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and rosemary. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the beef, oregano, salt, and pepper to the pan and break up the meat with a spoon. Cook until browned, about 7-8 minutes. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the sauce (saving 1/2 cup for later) to the mixture, then the rice and balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust any seasoning as needed.
Fill the peppers. Slice the tops off of the peppers and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Place the peppers in a baking dish and divide the filling among the peppers.
Bake. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and top with the remaining sauce and the cheese. Return to the oven to bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and melted. Serve warm.

Notes

Depending on the size of your peppers, the filling may make enough for 4 or 5 peppers.

Don't skip on tasting the filling before filling the peppers. The meat is fully cooked at this point and now is the time to adjust any of the seasonings to make sure they're to your liking.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Category: Main Dish
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Italian