Over the last six years of this blog, I have prepared several recipes for stuffed peppers and yet I found another new one. This interesting recipe is by Chef Alex Guarnaschelli posted on the Food Network. It struck me as chili stuffed peppers, but the filling sits on a bed of couscous. I asked my husband if he was willing to try this for me and his reply, “Anything to help your food blog.” Off I went to get my missing ingredients.
 
For the recipe you’ll need bell peppers, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, a neutral oil, one pound ground beef, onions, fresh garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, 28-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes, can of black beans, cider vinegar, cooked couscous and sharp yellow cheese.
My local ShopRite has red bell peppers on sale until Saturday, January 8th (with a Price Plus Card) for just $1.49/lb. I picked up a can of crushed New Jersey tomatoes, instead of whole, for $2.99. The recipe called for four onions, however, I reduced that to two as I thought that was a bit much for the amount of chop meat. It also called for six cloves of garlic; again, I reduced that to two cloves.
 
The recipe begins by slicing the peppers in half, seasoning with salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil. They are cooked in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. While that’s happening, the filling is prepared. I used a 12-inch skillet and it was quite full by the time I added all the ingredients. Had I realized how much the filling would wind up to be, I would have used the original quantity of onions and garlic. As I had selected peppers on the smaller size and could have used another two or three to use up the balance of the filling.
 
The stuffed peppers were hearty. The filling was both spicy from the chili powder (two tablespoon full) and warming from the cumin. The couscous was a made for a light base for the filling. Overall, a mouth-watering meal! My husband totally enjoyed them and suggested using the remaining filling over pasta (something akin to Cincinnati Chili).
Stuffed Peppers
By Chef Alex Guarnaschelli
Food Network
 
Level: Easy
Active Time: 50 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
 
4 medium bell peppers, preferably red, halved, seeds and ribs removed (see Cook's Note)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound ground beef
4 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
6 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, lightly crushed
One 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups cooked couscous (see Cook's Note)
3/4 cup shredded sharp yellow Cheddar
 
Directions
 
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Arrange the pepper halves cut-side up on a nonstick baking sheet or regular baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the interiors with salt and pepper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and roast until the peppers are juicy and somewhat softened and tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, add the meat in a thin layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the meat browns and is cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to a medium bowl. Stir the onions, garlic, chili powder and cumin into the pot with a sprinkle of salt. Stir to blend, then cook until the flavors meld together, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer gently over medium heat until the tomatoes fall apart and the chili starts to thicken, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the meat back to the pot along with the beans and apple cider vinegar. Remove from the heat.
  4. Fill each pepper about halfway with the couscous. Divide the chili among all the peppers, layering it on top of the couscous. Top with the cheese and return the baking sheet to the oven. Bake until piping hot and the cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes.
 
Cook’s Note
Green bell peppers work too. You could also use leftover rice in place of the couscous.