Stuffed peppers are a great way to put the last harvest of your summer vegetables to use. Prepped in under an hour, this creative recipe packs baby bell peppers with couscous, seasoned ground beef and spinach for an appetizer or entree that the entire family will love.
Whether you’re looking for a delicious appetizer or easy dinner dish, mini stuffed peppers are a fun option. The hearty appetizer can easily be made from leftovers, just use the ground beef and couscous from last nights dinner and you'll be ready to go.
To start, cut the baby bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes. Mix together the ground beef and other ingredients and spoon the mixture into the peppers and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake the dish for about 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer, a kitchen tool every home cook should have, to ensure that the ground beef is safe to eat. Serve the mini stuffed peppers alongside more of our iconic game day snack recipes.
Beef and Couscous Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
15 baby sweet bell peppers (about 2-1/2 to 3 inches long, about 1-1/4 pounds)
2/3 cups regular or spicy 100% vegetable juice
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1/4 cup uncooked whole wheat or regular couscous2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded Parmesan, Monterey Jack, white Cheddar or Italian-blend cheese
Directions
Heat oven to 400°F. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; remove seeds and membranes, but not stem. Place peppers, cut-sides up, on two shallow-rimmed baking sheets.
Combine ground beef, vegetable juice, spinach, couscous, garlic, oregano, salt and black pepper in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Spoon beef mixture evenly into peppers. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake, uncovered, in 400°F oven 25 to 30 minutes or until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pepper registers 160°F and peppers begin to brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe courtesy of Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.
By Madeline Buiano © 2020 Tribune Publishing; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
