I guess I did stir up a little friendly competition when I egged on Chef “Broccoli” Rob Martucci to submit a tasty recipe for all of us to make at home… and aren’t we all glad that I did! Up next on our menu is most certainly Chef Rob’s signature dish, Stuffed Peppers. This recipe feeds 4-6 hungry diners and requires 7 or 8 peppers to start.
Chef Rob prefers the yellow and red ones, and I’d take his advice. The first step is to cut a round hole at the top of each pepper and clean out the insides by scraping the veins until they are flush with the pepper walls. Next you’re going to boil them in a large pot until soft. When they’re done, carefully remove them and run them under cold water while they are still in the pot. When they’ve cooled, stand them upright on a paper towel for use later. While your peppers are cooling begin your slow cooker rice (either white or brown will work), and no cheating with the minute rice or he will know! Make 4-6 servings.
Next is the real cooking! Use a large sauté pan on medium high heat and add chopped onions and minced garlic to good olive oil. When your mixture begins to turn translucent, add one pound of crumbled sausage or chop meat, and be careful to break up all the clumps. Next add salt, pepper, chopped fresh parsley, a pinch of paprika and a few shakes of chili powder. When the meat is just about cooked through and uniform in color, add a splash of pepper ring juice and a 1 1/2 cups of red sauce. (Use the best jar sauce you can find or your own sauce leftover from Sunday’s spaghetti & meatball dinner!) Cook through by constantly folding the mixture. Thicken with a handful of breadcrumbs and lower the heat.
When your meat is fully cooked, add the perfectly fluffy rice and carefully fill the cooled peppers with the tasty combo. Pack the bottoms and sides to give the peppers shape and then fill them loosely to the top edge. Add a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and place a dab of butter to top off each pepper. Place the peppers on a sheet pan close together and bake on 350F until the tops are toasted, about 30-40 minutes.
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