We made it. We came out the other side of the holidays. Maybe some of us came refreshed. Others rugged and worn. A few just plain cold (yup! yup!). But here we are.
Hi 2016!
Comfort is always the name of the game after a lapse of time in the kitchen. And these paleo (optional) stuffed peppers never disappoint. They are easy to make. They are hearty.
The leftovers are worth everything.
To keep it paleo – do not add the cheese at the end. Otherwise, everything else in these peppers are paleo approved!
They are packed with lots of veggies (instead of rice). I start with browned mushrooms.
If you don’t like mushrooms, I got you.
I was not a fan of mushrooms until I learned to cook them properly. Golden brown, crisp mushrooms? Easy. Easy. It’s all about leaving them alone. Place them in a pan with some coconut oil or ghee and walk away. For 5-8 minutes. Do not touch them. Flip and repeat.
Hearty. Caramelized. Crisp.
This is a great recipe to clean out your pantry of vegetables that are about to go bad. And you all know how I feel about expiration dates. Zucchini? Carrots? Celery? Get in there.
To make this recipe super easy, I use an all natural marinara sauce from the jar. The same I use for my butternut squash lasagna.
I give you, the time saver:
I use the Arrabbiata because we like a kick of spice but they also have a mild marinara sauce.
Prep your bell peppers by removing the tops.
Little cuties.
Stuff and bake.
Let’s eat! I usually cut these in half because they are that hearty! Half for dinner & half for lunch the next day. It is all the good feelings.
Paleo Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 TBS coconut oil or olive oil
- 4 bell peppers (tops removed)
- 1 lbs grass fed beef
- 1 small zucchini, chopped (optional)
- 1 carrot, chopped (optional)
- 1 8oz package baby bella mushrooms, sliced (optional)
- Handful spinach, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 jar all natural marinara sauce
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper flakes (optional)
- Parmesan Cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Heat coconut oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and do not touch for 5-8 minutes. Flip and cook (without touching) for another 5 minutes.
- Add onion (and any other veggies you want, like chopped zucchini or carrots…) and sauté until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add beef (optional) and garlic. Saute the beef for 8 minutes making sure to break it apart with a spatula.
- Add half a jar of all natural marinara sauce. Mix everything together and put the lid on and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
- Stir in spinach and add the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (omit red pepper if you do not like spice). Put the lid back on and cook for 5 minutes.
- Taste the mixture and add additional salt or pepper if needed.
- Place hollow (tops removed) peppers in an oven safe dish that will allow them to stand up.
- Spoon the meat mixture into the bell peppers.
- Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes. If you would like to top with cheese, sprinkle on top after 15 minutes and let bake for an additional 5 minutes.
I made this recipe tonight! Because I am not eating meat right now I doubled the mushrooms, onion and added a zucchini. I also decided to add some red pepper flakes. I’m so glad I did because they really added to the flavor. This was delicious and really filling! Annnd SO easy to make.
Thank you for the hot tip on the mushrooms!! I will definitely be cooking them up like that again.
★★★★★
I am so glad you did, Jacquie!! The picture you posted on FB looked AMAZING!!! So grateful for you 🙂 Feel free to turn any of my recipes into vegetarian options and report back 🙂
These stuffed peppers look so healthy and easy to make! I’m going to make them for my friends tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe!