This one pot Unstuffed Peppers dish takes the work out of making traditional stuffed peppers, but still packs all of the flavor!
Most nights out of the week, I generally love to cook. It’s a little “me” time when I get to pour myself a glass of wine and just enjoy some time alone to do some good thinking, brainstorm, and create a delicious dish for dinner. But there will always be those nights when I just can’t. Instead of heading to my folder of takeout menus, or walking to the shopping center near our house to grab a couple slices of pizza, I turn to a few one pot recipes I keep on hand for nights like that.
So when I had some leftover ground beef to use after a dinner of homemade burgers on the grill, I decided to whip up some Unstuffed Peppers. This dish tastes just like stuffed peppers, but without the extra work. Just throw everything in a skillet and let it cook! This dish is made with brown rice, two kinds of bell peppers, and no cheese. It’s a healthy alternative and pretty budget-friendly weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground beef or ground turkey
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1 tbsp. minced onion
- 1 - 14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes with liquid, plus 1 can water
- 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the ground beef and cook until browned.
- Drain off fat, then add garlic, basil, and minced onion.
- Stir in the tomatoes with liquid, water, and rice.
- Heat until it boils, then reduce the heat to low and cover.
- Cook about 20 minutes, until rice is tender.
- Then, stir in the peppers.
- Cover again and cook for 10 minutes or until peppers just start to get tender.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Even though I used ground beef, I really want to use ground turkey next time I make this. I’ve also become a big fan of charring my peppers before adding them to my dishes. I just light the gas stovetop and let the peppers sit on the open flame for a little bit, just until they start to blacken. I do this on all sides and then chop them up.
Also, if you’re like me and my husband and don’t like soggy vegetables in their dishes, adding the peppers at the last minute will allow them to keep a bit of their crunch. This Unstuffed Peppers dish is enjoyable and easy to make. It’s definitely a keeper in our recipe rotation!
If you enjoyed this recipe, I’ll have another “un” recipe on the blog Monday! Enjoy and happy weekend!
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