BAKED PEPPERS STUFFED WITH GROUND BEEF, RICE, BULGUR AND GOAT CHEESE

SERVES 4

I love stuffed peppers and don’t make them often enough. So, I decided to go for it and try a new recipe. Oh my goodness, this so good. I couldn’t decide on red or green peppers, so I used both and served one-half of each per person. You could use all one type. Then, to kick up the nutrition, I used brown basmati rice, although any rice will work, and added some bulgur. If you can’t find bulgur, just omit it and make a little more of the rice.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup uncooked brown basmati rice

1 cup uncooked quick bulgur

4 large, thick-fleshed bell peppers, any color desired

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound lean ground beef

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

2 teaspoons dried marjoram leaves

2 teaspoons dried basil leaves

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 can (14.5-ounces) diced tomatoes, drained, juices reserved

4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

4 ounces mild goat cheese, crumbled

Fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350° F. Cook the rice in 1 cup water according to the time suggested on the package. Set aside. Meanwhile, toast the bulgur in the oven on a baking sheet until lightly golden, about 12 minutes. Set that aside. Cut the peppers in half vertically and remove the stems and seeds.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Sauté the ground beef until browned, stirring in the fennel seeds, thyme, marjoram, dried basil, salt and pepper when it first starts to brown. Add the onion and chopped peppers to the pan; sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté one more minute. Remove from the heat.

Place the peppers in one layer in a lightly oiled or sprayed baking dish. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef mixture, rice, bulgur, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan, the goat cheese and the reserved tomato juices. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Stuff each pepper half with the mixture. Top with the diced tomatoes, fresh basil and the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Bake, covered, until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Increase heat to 400°. Remove cover and bake until lightly browned on top, about 10 minutes.

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